New Bulgaria President Assumes Office

Rumen Radev has assumed office as Bulgaria’s new president after an inauguration ceremony in front of the landmark Alexander Nevski Cathedral in Sofia. In his first speech as president, Radev underscored the idea of continuity and pledged to work for a “united society in the name of democracy”, ABC News reported. Radev said he would be a president for all Bulgarians regardless of party affiliations, ethnicity or religion. He also said he will work with Bulgaria’s partners to hasten the country’s integration with Europe, but also vowed to “stand up for the rights and dignity of his people.” The new president had pledged to foster better relations with Russia and remove EU sanctions that were imposed on Moscow for its role in the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Bulgaria’s fifth democratically-elected president, Radev replaced Rosen Plevneliev in the largely ceremonial post. Radev won the presidential election in Bulgaria in November 2016.