Hard Bargaining Amongst Friends: An Overview of Contemporary Russian-Bulgarian Relations

Author(s): Kyril Drezov
Editor(s): Stephen Aris, Matthias Neumann, Robert Orttung, Jeronim Perovic, Heiko Pleines, Hans-Henning Schröder, Aglaya Snetkov
Series: Russian Analytical Digest (RAD)
Issue: 125
Pages: 11-14
Publisher(s): Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich; Research Centre for East European Studies, University of Bremen; Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies, George Washington University
Publication Year: 2013

The fall of Boyko Borisovs government and the forthcoming early elections revived hopes in Moscow that Russian energy projects abandoned during his mandate, notably the Belene nuclear power station, can be resurrected. President Putin had established a good working relationship with the outgoing premier, although he and Russian officials were often irritated by Borisovs volatile and unpredictable style. Russia is likely to work with all existing political factions in Bulgaria, although parties and groups on the left are traditionally more amenable to Russian influence.

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