SOFIA: EU member Bulgaria headed into fresh political turbulence on Monday after a former air force commander seen as sympathetic to Russia triumphed in presidential elections, prompting Prime Minister Boyko Borisov to quit.

In his victory speech, Rumen Radev reiterated his opposition to EU sanctions on Russia and praised new US President-elect Donald Trump for “seeking more dialogue” with President Vladimir Putin. “This gives a lot of hope for reducing [the risk] of confrontation, particularly in Syria” where Russia and the US are backing opposite sides in a bloody civil war, the fighter pilot said.

He won 59.4 per cent of the vote, well ahead of the more Western-leaning Tsetska Tsacheva, Borisov’s uninspiring hand-picked candidate, who garnered just 36.2 per cent, near-complete official results showed Monday.

The outcome was mirrored in Moldova, a small ex-communist nation wedged between Ukraine and Romania, where the pro-Russian Igor Dodon beat his pro-European rival Maia Sandu to the presidency.

“If Bulgarians want a political crisis then they shall have one,” Borisov said on Sunday evening as he threw in the towel.

Moscow on Monday welcomed Radev’s victory and called for “the expansion of cooperation” with Bulgaria.

Radev, 53, due to take office on Jan 22, has no political experience and was little known before being backed by the opposition Socialists to run for president.

Like other anti-establishment politicians — not least Trump but also populists around Europe — he struck a chord with voters by attacking the status quo and stressing issues like national security and immigration.

Published in Dawn November 15th, 2016