Iliana Yotova, the interim president of Bulgaria who favors dialogue with Russia and opposes supporting Ukraine, won a second round of the presidential election on Sunday, elcorreo.com reported. The vote took place amid security concerns in the European Union and NATO member state following commercial vessel drone attacks in the Black Sea.
An Election Decided Amid Black Sea Security Tensions
The runoff election pitted Yotova, an ally of the prime minister, against Andréi Gyurov, a banker and former interim prime minister backed by pro-European opposition forces. With 20% of the ballots scrutinized, early returns showed Yotova capturing between 57% and 59% of the vote. Gyurov trailed with 38% to 39%.
🇧🇬 BREAKING: President Iliana Yotova has won Bulgaria's presidential runoff, exit polls and vote counts show.She's set to become the country's first elected female head of state.Pro-Western challenger Andrey Gyurov trails. Turnout was under 30%. #Bulgariavia AP pic.twitter.com/ew1H1XQCcI
Only 26% of the eligible electorate cast ballots. That low turnout highlights deep-seated public distrust in the country’s broader political system.
Yotova’s victory shifts Bulgaria closer to Moscow’s sphere of influence following a campaign defined by a sharp divide over foreign policy. Voters weighed whether to restore warmer ties with Russia or maintain backing for Kyiv.
Yotova, a former journalist and Member of the European Parliament, originally won election as vice president alongside Radev in 2016 and 2021. She assumed the interim presidency earlier this year after Radev stepped down to run in parliamentary elections. She now becomes the first woman at the head of this nation of 6.4 million people.
Clashing Visions on the War in Ukraine
During a televised debate prior to the runoff, Gyurov criticized Yotova for declining to hold Moscow directly responsible for the recent maritime security incidents in the Black Sea. Gyurov, a former deputy governor of the Bulgarian National Bank, argued that Russia must halt its military aggression before any diplomatic progress can occur.
Yotova countered that peace can only be achieved through negotiations. Rumen Radev asserted that the drone strikes served the Kremlin’s strategic interests and summoned the Russian ambassador, though his administration maintained that definitive evidence linking Moscow directly to the attacks remained absent.
In the final stretch of the campaign, Yotova campaigned as a candidate for peace, accusing her opponent of attempting to drag Bulgaria into the war in Ukraine. In the first round of voting, Yotova secured 35% of the vote compared to 32% for Gyurov, outperforming pre-election polls that had suggested a wider advantage.
| Candidate | Political Alignment | First Round Vote (%) | Runoff Projection (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iliana Yotova | Pro-dialogue with Russia | 35% | 57% – 59% |
| Andréi Gyurov | Pro-European Opposition | 32% | 38% – 39% |
Shifting Alliances and Public Discontent
Faced with tighter polling margins, Radev actively intervened in the campaign to support Yotova. His party, Bulgaria Progresista, had captured parliamentary victories by channeling widespread voter frustration.
Radev urged citizens to rally behind Yotova, framing the ballot as a choice between peace and conflict. Meanwhile, voters expressed profound disillusionment with the available political choices.
Petar Doitchinov, a 67-year-old retired engineer, explained that neither candidate aligned with his personal view of democracy. He cast a ballot in the runoff as a choice of the lesser of two evils, noting his desire to avoid a return to past communist models.
