President Rumen Radev has sharply criticized the political environment in Bulgaria following the recent municipal elections in Pazardzhik, calling them “the embodiment of a conquered state and a reflection of corruption in Bulgarian politics.” Speaking to journalists, the head of state described the vote as a striking example of how deep-rooted systemic issues continue to erode the country’s democratic foundations.

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Radev also commented on the growing controversy surrounding the case of the mayor of Varna, noting that the situation had become “increasingly interesting.” He referred to media reports about a supposed secret witness, a Russian-speaking Ukrainian citizen, linked to the investigation. While he declined to comment on the existence of such a witness or the details of the testimony, the president voiced concern about the role of the State Agency for National Security (SANS).

According to information published in early July, Radev said, acting SANS chairman Denyo Denev expelled the Ukrainian citizen from Bulgaria and imposed an entry ban over suspicions of money laundering and other socially dangerous activities in Varna. However, just two weeks later, Denev reportedly revoked his own order and allowed the individual to return, something Radev called an “absolute precedent.” He stressed that such a reversal had not occurred in hundreds of similar cases in recent years.

“The question is who pressured the acting chairman to take such a risk, to trample on his own motives and why,” Radev asked, urging the parliamentary committee overseeing security services to investigate the matter thoroughly. He said it was essential to determine whether the claims were true and to establish who may have interfered with the agency’s work.

By law, the president, prime minister, and speaker of parliament should receive identical reports from SANS. However, Radev said he had not been informed about this specific case. “All developments point to the idea that information is being accessed by individuals who have no legal right to it but clearly use it for personal or political purposes,” he warned.

The president linked these developments to what he described as a broader pattern of repression and misuse of state power. “This is the result of the recent reshuffling of the security services, targeting the inconvenient, escalating political repression, and the increasingly brutal theft of public and private resources,” Radev said. He added that, much like the uninvestigated “Hemus” highway scandal under Boyko Borissov’s government, such cases risk being buried from public scrutiny.

“We are heading toward quiet impoverishment,” Radev concluded. “This is no longer a question of presidential powers, it concerns the very functioning of the rule of law. If society does not awaken its forces of resistance, we risk returning to the darkest episodes of dictatorship and plunder.”