Continuity and change. These were the guiding principles the new President of Bulgaria Rumen Radev formulated in his brief speech as he assumed office at a ceremony in Sofia yesterday. Former president Rosen Plevneliev wished success to his successor, stating that throughout the five years of his term of office he had worked solely for the benefit of the country and the nation.

The official inauguration ceremony went on for hours in icy weather on Sunday in front of the Monument to the Unknown Soldier, at the Alexander Nevsky cathedral and in front of the presidency building in Sofia’s city centre. Twenty-one gun salutes heralded the start of the term of office of the fifth president of Bulgaria after the fall of Todor Zhivkov’s totalitarian regime at the end of 1989.

“Oh Lord, send him a guardian angel - of those to whom much is given, much is required,” this was the message conveyed by Bulgarian Patriarch Neophyte. His words stood out with their wisdom against the background of yesterday’s stream of protocol civilities, analyses and forecasts: “Mr. President, today, when God is placing on your shoulders a huge responsibility for the life and prosperity of millions in a difficult and volatile time, you need the support of the Lord more than ever. To make your term of office successful, you will need to heed the aspirations of the Bulgarian citizens, to seek out what is good for them, what brings security and peace. You will need a keen sensibility and wisdom.”

The show was over and the curtain fell. Rumen Radev, a 53-year old Major-General of the reserve and former air force commander, is the first Bulgarian President who is not on the list of any political party after 10 November, 1989. He was elected president after winning the runoff against GERB party nominee Tsetska Tsacheva in November last year. Radev, nominated by an initiative committee was supported by the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP). He is yet to disprove the persistent claims that he is “one of BSP’s own”.

I will be president of all Bulgarians, whatever their race and creed, said Radev, repeating the cliché, articulated by all presidents of Bulgaria to date as they assumed office. Some of his promises are hackneyed, déjà vu. Like the one that he will combat the chronic problems of Bulgaria like corruption, crime and the impoverishment of the majority of the population. This has been a running battle for decades with no particular success.

Bulgaria is a parliamentary republic. Under the constitution, the president has restricted powers, but he does carry a certain amount of weight in foreign policy. In this context, Rumen Radev quelled any suspicion, by stating that Bulgaria’s membership of the EU and NATO was not subject to discussion.

The change regarding the credo of his predecessor Rosen Plevneliev concerns the country’s policy towards Russia and the problems of Crimea and Ukraine. Rumen Radev called for lifting the EU’s sanctions on Russia. Yet analysts say this is sensitive ground, that it is not a national matter but a matter for the union and that the crucial, perhaps final say on the issue belongs to Washington and its new administration. This is not something in which Bulgaria is a factor and the country shall comply with the decisions of the leading nations, experts say.

As to the wave of migration, Rumen Radev stated when he was still on the campaign trail, that he would not allow Bulgaria to become a European buffer zone or ghetto and would work towards a revision of the Dublin Regulation. In this too, analysts say Bulgaria is not a factor and will, again, comply with the decisions made by the big nations. In other words, Rumen Radev should rethink his pre-election rhetoric and quickly, and comprehend what he can and cannot do as president of a parliamentary republic, especially in foreign policy.

Domestically, Rumen Radev’s obligations are down-to-earth, concrete and are not subject to interpretation. They are formulated by the constitution – he must dissolve parliament, appoint a caretaker government and fix a date for the early parliamentary elections. If Radev has any foresight, he should not appoint people from the party ranks in the transition administration – most of all from the Bulgarian Socialist Party – and should not allow this cabinet to make decisions other than those connected with organizing the early elections. The elections will probably be in March, so we are in for a “hot” spring.

English version: Milena Daynova