Rumen Radev facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rumen Radev
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| Румен Радев | |
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Official portrait, 2018
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| 5th President of Bulgaria | |
| Assumed office 22 January 2017 |
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| Prime Minister |
See list
Boyko Borisov
Ognyan Gerdzhikov Boyko Borisov Stefan Yanev Kiril Petkov Galab Donev Nikolai Denkov Dimitar Glavchev Rosen Zhelyazkov |
| Vice President | Iliana Iotova |
| Preceded by | Rosen Plevneliev |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Rumen Georgiev Radev
18 June 1963 Dimitrovgrad, PR Bulgaria |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations |
Bulgarian Communist Party (1985–1990) |
| Spouses |
Ginka Radeva
(m. 1996; div. 2014)Desislava Radeva
(m. 2016) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education |
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| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Bulgaria |
| Branch/service |  Bulgarian Air Force |
| Years of service | 1987–2017 |
| Rank | Major general |
Rumen Georgiev Radev (Bulgarian: Румен Георгиев Радев, born on June 18, 1963) is a Bulgarian politician. He used to be a major general in the military. Since 2017, he has been the President of Bulgaria.
Before becoming president, Radev was the top commander of the Bulgarian Air Force. He won the 2016 presidential election. He ran as an independent candidate. The Bulgarian Socialist Party supported him. He won against GERB candidate Tsetska Tsacheva. He won a second time in the 2021 election. He received 66% of the votes in the second round.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Rumen Radev was born on June 18, 1963, in Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria. His family comes from Slavyanovo. This village is in the Haskovo region. In 1982, he finished the Mathematical School in Haskovo. He earned a gold medal for his studies.
He then went to the Georgi Benkovski Bulgarian Air Force University. He graduated in 1987 as the best student. In 1992, he studied at the US Air Force Squadron Officer School. This school is located at Maxwell Air Force Base. From 1994 to 1996, he attended the Rakovski Defence and Staff College. He was also the top graduate there. He has a special degree in military science. It focuses on improving pilot training and simulating air battles.
In 2003, he graduated from Air War College in the United States. He earned a Master's degree in Strategic Studies with honors.
Becoming President
In August 2016, two political parties nominated Radev for president. These were the Bulgarian Socialist Party and the Alternative for Bulgarian Revival (ABR). ABR later decided to support a different candidate.
The first round of the election was on November 6, 2016. Radev came in first place. He received 25.44% of the votes. He then faced GERB candidate Tsetska Tsacheva in a second round. This second vote happened on November 13. Radev won with 59.37% of the votes.
On February 1, 2021, he announced he would run for a second term. His running mate was Iliana Yotova. The next presidential election was on November 14, 2021. Several parties supported Radev. These included ITN and PP. He also had support from BSPzB.
Radev and Iliana Yotova received 1,322,385 votes in the first round. This was 49.42% of the total votes. They went to a second round against Anastas Gerdzhikov. Gerdzhikov was supported by GERB. Radev won the second round with 66.7% of the votes. He then started his second term as president.
Family and Personal Life
Radev joined the Bulgarian Communist Party in the 1980s. He later said he joined to fly supersonic jets. He also stated he was proud of his past actions. He left the party in 1990. A new law stopped military members from joining political parties. He has not been a member of any political party since then.
Radev has two children from his first marriage. His first wife was Ginka Radeva. They divorced in 2014. Their daughter Darina was born in 2001. Their son Georgi was born in 2003. He later married Desislava Gencheva in 2016. She was previously married to a politician.
Besides Bulgarian, Radev also speaks Russian, German, and English. Radev's father passed away in April 2020.
Radev is a member of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. He supports religious education in Bulgarian schools. He believes the church's well-being is important for the country. Radev also admires Pope Francis. He calls him "the voice of the weak."
Military Career Highlights
Rumen Radev had a long career in the Bulgarian Air Force. Here are some of his roles:
- 1987 – 1989: Junior pilot at the 15th Fighter Aviation Regiment.
- 1989 – 1992: Deputy commander of a unit at the 15th Fighter Aviation Regiment.
- 1992 – 1997: Commander of a unit at the 15th Fighter Aviation Regiment.
- 1997 – 1999: MiG-29 squadron commander at the Fifth Fighter Airbase.
- 1999 – 2000: Deputy commander for flight preparation at the Fifth Fighter Airbase.
- 2000: Deputy commander for flight training at the Third Fighter Airbase.
- 2000 – 2002: Chief of Staff of the Third Fighter Airbase.
- 2004 – 2009: Commander of the Third Fighter Airbase.
- 2009 – 2014: Bulgarian Air Force deputy commander.
- 2014 – 2017: Bulgarian Air Force commander.
Military Ranks Earned
Radev moved up through many ranks in the military:
- 1987 – Lieutenant
- 1989 – Senior lieutenant
- 1994 – Captain
- 1997 – Major
- 1999 – Lieutenant colonel
- 2002 – Colonel
- 2007 – Brigadier general
- 2014 – Major general
- 2017 – General (Commander-In-Chief)
Awards and Honors
Rumen Radev has received many awards. These include the "For loyal service under the flags" – III degree. He also has the Honorary sign of the Ministry of Defence "Saint George" – II degree.
Honors and Decorations
Radev has received honors from Bulgaria and other countries.
Bulgarian Honors
- Bulgaria : Grand Master of the Order of Stara Planina
- Bulgaria : Grand Master of the Order of Saints Cyril and Methodius
- Bulgaria : Grand Master of the Order of Civil Merit (Bulgaria)
- Bulgaria : Grand Master of the Order of Military Merit (Bulgaria)
- Bulgaria : Grand Master of the Order of the Madara Horseman
Foreign Honors
Greece: Grand cross of the Order of the Redeemer (2017)
Italy: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (April 10, 2024)
Malta : Companions of Honour of the National Order of Merit (February 5, 2018)
Portugal:
- Grand Cross of the Order of Aviz (January 30, 2019)
- Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry (April 12, 2022)
Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Collar of the Order pro Merito Melitensi (December 13, 2019)
Images for kids
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President Rumen Radev (left) and Prime Minister Boyko Borisov (right). The two Bulgarian leaders often publicly clash.
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Radev with Israeli president Reuven Rivlin, March 20, 2018
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Radev with U.S. Air Force Gen. Frank Gorenc in Bulgaria
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Radev in 2012
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Rumen Radev being inducted into the International Honor Roll, December 3, 2014
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See also
In Spanish: Rumen Radev para niños
