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Europe Today: Russia-friendly Radev wins in Bulgaria as Orbán hints at lifting EU Ukraine loan veto
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00:14Good morning, it's Monday the 20th of April. I'm Maret Gwyn and this is Europe Today, your daily dose of
00:23morning news and analysis live here on Euronews.
00:27Coming up on today's show, Bulgaria's Russia-friendly former president Rumen Radev and his progressive Bulgaria party have won a
00:36landslide victory in Sunday's parliamentary elections.
00:40The latest estimates suggest he's around 30 points ahead of his nearest rival.
00:45We ask what the result means for Bulgaria and for Europe.
00:50And the EU and the incoming Hungarian government have agreed to work together to swiftly release billions of euros in
00:59EU funds to Hungary.
01:00Meanwhile, outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orban has hinted he could lift his veto on a 90 billion euro loan to
01:08Ukraine if Russian oil flows resume this week.
01:12We'll bring you all the details. And Tehran has, quote, no plans for now to participate in a second round
01:19of peace talks with the U.S. expected today in Pakistan, according to Iranian state media.
01:26It comes amid a deepening standoff over the Strait of Hormuz and amid reports that the U.S. earlier seized
01:33an Iranian flagged ship near the strait.
01:36We'll have more details. But first, we're taking you to Bulgaria, where the former president, Rumen Radev, an EU critic
01:44who has been described as sympathetic to Russia, has won a convincing victory in Sunday's parliamentary elections.
01:52His center-left coalition has vowed to stamp out a, quote, oligarchic governance model after years of political gridlock in
02:00the country.
02:01We can now bring in Euronews' Marina Stojimenova, who has been following events for us there overnight in Sofia.
02:08Great to have you with us, Marina. Good morning.
02:10I know there are votes still being counted as we speak, but talk us through where we are as things
02:17stand right now.
02:20Good morning from Sofia Amaret. Indeed, the results are already shaping up to be extremely interesting here.
02:27Although the counting is still underway, one thing is clear, Rumen Radev, the former president who stepped down in January,
02:34is winning the elections and more.
02:36For the first time in nearly 30 years, Bulgaria will have a government with a full parliamentary majority, which means
02:44that this might put an end to a very long, long political crisis here in the country.
02:49Rumen Radev is leading with almost 45 percent far ahead of his competitors.
02:56Former Prime Minister Boiko Boriso, very well known in Europe, this is a very interesting fact, may even fall to
03:03third place.
03:04And another key factor is the vote from abroad, which has yet to be fully counted.
03:08It is expected to favor Rumen Radev's progressive Bulgaria.
03:12If that holds, he could edge closer to 50 percent.
03:17And, Marina, we know Brussels will be watching this result very closely, of course.
03:22What could this mean for Europe?
03:27Well, he is certainly perceived as more friendly toward Moscow, largely because of his statements during his presidency.
03:34Rumen Radev has opposed many times the decisions of Bulgaria to support Ukraine.
03:40And even yesterday, he said that he hopes Bulgaria will develop practical relations with Russia based on mutual respect and
03:49equal treatment.
03:50At the same time, his tone last night was a bit different.
03:53He was seeking for the questions of foreign media because he wanted to bring a message to Europe.
03:58And this message was very clear.
04:00Bulgaria will remain firmly on its European path.
04:04And still, he didn't shy away of criticizing the European Union.
04:08Let's hear what he said last night.
04:10Bulgaria will pay efforts to continue its European path.
04:17But, believe me, strong Bulgaria in strong Europe needs critical thinking, needs pragmatism.
04:26Because Europe has fallen a victim to its own ambition to be a moral leader in a world without rules.
04:38Rumen Radev, the winner of the Bulgarian election on Sunday.
04:45And thank you, Marina Stoymenova, for that update for us from Sofia.
04:50But now, for more on the significance of this result for Bulgaria and also for Europe,
04:56we can bring in Martin Vladimirov, who is an expert analyst for the Center for the Study of Democracy.
05:03Martin, good morning.
05:04Really good to have you with us on the show this morning.
05:06Assuming Radev does form a government now, and I think we can assume that based on the results,
05:12what do you expect from him in terms of his foreign policy and his approach towards the EU?
05:18Well, before the election results came out, which are really a landslide, unprecedented victory for one party,
05:26we have been monitoring his and his party's social media engagement.
05:33And the data is very clear.
05:35There have been a huge increase in pro-Russian narratives disseminated by his social media accounts.
05:43He has been staunchly kind of anti-sanctions and anti-countering Russian influence in Europe over the last decade or
05:55so.
05:55There have been reports back when he was being voted in as president that his campaign was coordinated with the
06:04former security services of the Kremlin.
06:06So a decade later, we may see a pragmatic Bulgarian leader who will remain pro-EU on the surface.
06:17But as in previous times, we have seen Bulgaria being a very practical Trojan horse for the Kremlin.
06:25Even when they talk pro-EU and pro-NATO policies underground or underneath this rhetoric,
06:33we can see actions that undermine, for example, the phase-out of Russian oil and gas in Europe,
06:38or undermining the sanctions policy against Russia and the support for Ukraine.
06:42OK, it's very interesting what you say.
06:44So based on that, can we expect him to step into the shoes of Viktor Orban, for example,
06:49or do you expect him to be more collaborative on the EU's Ukraine policy?
06:55I think Mr. Radoff will be much more collaborative than Mr. Orban.
06:59He will not be openly anti-EU policy.
07:03He will probably vote in favour of many of the EU actions.
07:07But I don't doubt that there will be attempts on his part and on his government to undermine the strength
07:16of these actions.
07:18Similarly to what Mr. Fitsou has been doing in Slovakia, nominally supporting EU policy,
07:24but trying to undercut and find loophole and gaps into this policy.
07:28So this is a major win for the Kremlin, I think, a culmination of a long strategy of Russia to
07:37solidify its influence in the country.
07:38But I don't think we should over-exaggerate this process.
07:45We're about to see what will happen.
07:47Anti-corruption policy would be his first item on the agenda.
07:51So I think domestic politics would trump foreign policy in the beginning, at least.
07:55OK, thank you so much, Martin Vladimirov, an expert analyst for us there.
08:00But moving on now from Bulgaria to Hungary, where the incoming government of Petr Magyar held initial talks with senior
08:09officials from Brussels over the weekend,
08:11raising expectations that EU funds to Hungary frozen under the leadership of Viktor Orban could be unblocked.
08:18Our correspondent, Shandor Shiros, is here to tell us more.
08:21Good morning, Shandor.
08:22Good morning.
08:23Listen, I know you've been speaking to officials about these talks over the weekend, which are quite significant.
08:27Tell us more.
08:28Yes, it's a very unusual and very symbolic visit in my view, because I have never seen a European Commission
08:36delegation visiting a country
08:38and not sitting down with the actual government, but with party officials who are trying to set up a government
08:44in one month.
08:45But the clock is ticking, and this is the main issue, because if Hungary and the future government of Petr
08:51Magyar
08:51does not agree with the allocation of 10 billion euros under the recovery funds by the end of August, this
09:00money will be lost.
09:01But now what we have seen over the weekend is that both parties, the Commission and the TISA party, is
09:08willing to work to find a solution how to get these funds for Hungary.
09:12And, you know, remember, if they ever get this, it's a symbolic step, because, you know, the Commission could say
09:19that we are supporting a pro-European government.
09:22But also, it's a huge, huge money injection for the Hungarian economy, because 10 billion euros is more than 4
09:30% of the Hungarian GDP.
09:32So, let's take a look at what Petr Magyar said after the talks over the weekend.
09:37He said, real work must begin so that the EU funds due to the Hungarian people finally arrive in Hungary.
09:44The consequences of the mistakes and crimes of the outgoing government will not disappear overnight.
09:51And, Sándor, at the same time, Viktor Orbán hinting he could, in fact, lift his veto on that 90 billion
09:59euro EU loan to Ukraine.
10:01Yes, exactly. So, Orbán tweeted yesterday that he received information that Ukraine could resume the oil flows via the Druzhba
10:10pipeline.
10:11This issue caused a lot of troubles between Hungary and Ukraine, and also on European level, because, you know, Hungary
10:18blocked the EU's 90 billion support package for Ukraine because of this pipeline issue.
10:24Now, one week after the election, finally, everything could be resolved, and Orbán could finish his mandate by resolving this
10:32huge issue.
10:33It's very significant politically for me that everything is happening in such a big speed.
10:39Let me quote Orbán here.
10:41Hungary's position has not changed.
10:43No oil, no money.
10:45Oil deliveries are restored.
10:47We no longer stand in the way of approving the loan.
10:51Now, the next question is what Peter Magyar will do with the Russian oil and gas supplies.
10:57Is he willing to decouple from Russian fossil fuels?
11:01It's not clear for the moment.
11:03OK, Sándor, thank you so much, and I'm sure we'll be hearing more from you, including on that Druzhba dispute
11:09very soon.
11:10Now, there is a precedent to releasing EU funds frozen over rule of law concerns, and that is the Polish
11:19experience following Donald Tusk's election in 2023.
11:23Our Jakob Janis explains.
11:26Peter Magyar has made his first diplomatic priority clear.
11:30Before Brussels or Vienna, Hungary's prime minister-elect is heading to Warsaw to meet Donald Tusk.
11:37And in late 2023, the Polish prime minister wrote the modern playbook on unwinding years of entrenched illiberal rule.
11:44Now Magyar is looking to apply it, especially as the two leaders express a similar to-do list across three
11:51key areas.
11:52What are they?
11:54To bypass an opposition president, Tusk's government used a parliamentary resolution to instantly dismiss state broadcast management,
12:02literally taking the network offline overnight.
12:06And Magyar is threatening the exact same shock therapy.
12:09Following a heated interview last week on public television, which he linked to North Korean propaganda,
12:16he explicitly vowed to suspend the national broadcaster's actual signal the very moment he takes office.
12:22And for judiciary, both leaders may join the European Public Prosecutor's Office a day one priority,
12:28reversing their predecessors' refusals to participate.
12:31However, Tusk is still struggling to implement a full judicial reform.
12:36He has faced a severe gridlock, requiring complex legal acrobatics to bypass presidential vetoes.
12:43Magyar, however, wields a two-thirds constitutional majority.
12:46EU officials are already in Budapest negotiating the release of over 10 billion euro in recovery funds,
12:53knowing Magyar has the parliamentary numbers to push the necessary reforms.
12:58Finally, Tusk rapidly purged the management boards of state-owned enterprises,
13:03with the oil giant Orlen being the most famous example.
13:06And Magyar is preparing a similar sweep across Hungary's state-backed institutions.
13:10He plans to recover state assets and cut funding to ideological networks,
13:16like Matias Corvino's Collegium or MCC.
13:20However, this strategy could have downsides.
13:23Rushing invites legal missteps and advocates of the outgoing governments
13:27argue that neither Orbán nor Morawiecki directly obstructed the transition.
13:32One thing is certain, from illiberal to liberal transitions,
13:37the new approach seems to rely on shock therapy to dismantle the old system overnight.
13:47Jakob Yanis reporting there.
13:49Now, to the Middle East next, where Iran is yet to confirm its participation
13:54in a second round of peace talks with the US in Pakistan.
13:58It comes amid a deepening standoff over the passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
14:03For more, we can bring in our correspondent in Dubai, Jane Witherspoon,
14:08who's standing by for us.
14:10Good morning, Jane. Good to have you on the show again.
14:12Reports this morning that an Iranian-flagged ship has been seized by the US near the straits.
14:17Tell us more.
14:20Good morning. Yes, US forces have seized that Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman.
14:27It was the ship called Tuska.
14:29A video released by US Central Command showed USS Spruance issuing warnings to the Iranian ship to stop.
14:37They ignored and were subsequently fired upon.
14:40Now, US Marines have custody of that vessel.
14:43Of course, President Trump took to his social media to share the news.
14:47And this comes, obviously, only a few hours after accusations of cease-fire violations
14:52in the Strait of Hormuz were made.
14:55Iran's military have said that they will be responding soon.
14:58They're calling the seizure an act of piracy.
15:02And again, this is going to cloud the chances of further peace talks happening in the region.
15:06Jane, briefly, we're also seeing intensifying diplomatic contacts
15:10between European leaders and leaders in the region.
15:15Of course, the British military have actually just raised its top alert level in the Strait of Hormuz.
15:21They're calling the situation critical.
15:23In addition to that, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper was here in the UAE on Saturday
15:29hosting a bilateral talk cementing the relationship between the UK and the UAE.
15:36Later today, I will be heading down to Abu Dhabi to do an exclusive Euronews interview
15:41with the British ambassador to the UAE, Ed Hobart.
15:46So I'll be bringing you all the latest lines from that throughout the day.
15:49OK, Jane, thank you so much.
15:50We'll be keeping an eye out for your reporting during the day, of course.
15:54But moving on now, over the weekend, Spain's Pedro Sánchez rallied global leaders in Barcelona
16:00at a convention, build the Progressive CPAC.
16:03While the Spanish prime minister is applauded abroad, he's facing mounting challenges at home.
16:10For more, our Europe editor, Maria Tadeo, is here with me in the studio.
16:13Good morning. Great to have you back.
16:15You were in Barcelona over the weekend.
16:17What did this convention achieve, if anything?
16:19Well, yes, Mary, I was there for the two days.
16:21Big convention, obviously big names too.
16:24The Spanish prime minister was the host, but you also had the president of Brazil, Lula,
16:28the Mexican president, the Colombian president, the president of South Africa, Ramaphosa.
16:33Obviously, they have all clashed one way or another with President Trump.
16:37In terms of the convention, what did they achieve?
16:40I would argue they achieved a photograph, a moment.
16:43And that, obviously, we're seeing there in the pictures.
16:45That matters in politics because politics is about the optics and it's about the symbols too.
16:50And ultimately, coming out of this convention, what they argued is that there is an alternative
16:54to global MAGA, which, of course, they suggest is fueling hate, sexism, war, tariffs, commotion in the world.
17:02So I think what they've shown now is, politically, the pendulum has really shifted from the left to the right.
17:08And they're seeking now to say, look, there is an alternative.
17:11And perhaps we can now bring that pendulum back to progressive ideas.
17:15It was also relevant because over the weekend, and perhaps we can put it up on the screen,
17:19there was a battle of rallies too in Europe.
17:22In Madrid, there was an opposition rally that took place in the capital city.
17:26But also in Milan, there was a rally of the far right of the European Parliament.
17:31So the hard right in the European Parliament going from Jordan Bartela to Mattel Salvini saying the complete opposite,
17:36that Europe is now facing big issues with illegal migration and security.
17:40But the goal of this convention in particular, the one led by the Spanish prime minister,
17:44was to really show that picture that there is an alternative.
17:47And at the same time, Maria, Spain leading calls to review or even suspend the EU's broad association agreement with
17:54Israel.
17:54Yeah, indeed. So that was another idea put forward by the Spanish prime minister,
17:58who's obviously trying to boost his profile in international politics,
18:01suggesting yesterday that Spain will present tomorrow at a foreign affairs meeting
18:07the idea of suspending now fully this association agreement with Israel.
18:12Obviously, this is not a new idea. It has been pitched in the past.
18:14It always hits a wall. Even the idea of a partial suspension has been complicated.
18:19But again, a lot of this is about the image of the Spanish prime minister.
18:23This is an idea that plays very well with the European left because it is incredibly clerical of Netanyahu.
18:30And for the Spanish prime minister, it's also a way of changing the conversation.
18:33The past week, it's been very difficult on a legal basis for Pedro Sanchez.
18:38His wife, his brother obviously are all facing legal issues and he needs something that can really catapult his profile
18:46going into 2027.
18:47I spoke with his entourage over the weekend and they all told me the same thing.
18:51One way or another, he is going to run in 2027.
18:54There is absolutely no way at this stage in which he will not contemplate being the lead candidate for the
19:00socialist.
19:00And now he's winning internationally. He needs that domestically because his position is so weak in Madrid.
19:07OK, Maria, thank you so much for that update.
19:10And we'll keep a close eye on those talks in Luxembourg between EU foreign ministers tomorrow.
19:14But that's it for today. Thank you so much for tuning in.
19:17We'll be back with more news and analysis at the same time, same place tomorrow.
19:21In the meantime, do get in touch with us. Send us your tips and questions to europetoday at euronews.com.
19:28And we'll see you very soon here on Euronews.
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