On a Sunday evening that marked a quiet turning point for a small Balkan democracy, Bulgaria's acting president Iliana Iotova appeared to have won the presidential run-off against the banker Andrey Gyurov, who conceded without contesting the early count. If official figures confirm it, she will be the first woman her country has chosen as head of state, though the office itself is largely ceremonial and the vote unfolded in a mood of weary resignation. The contest carried the weight of a nation looking outward, where questions of Russia, the war in Ukraine and the safety of its Black Sea coast
Iotova Leads Bulgarian Presidential Run-Off, Set to Become Nation's First Elected Woman Head of State
21 people remain missing following a series of drone attacks on commercial vessels off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast last month, suspected to be spillover from Russia's war on Ukraine.
Neither candidate matched his vision of democracy
Mark
Iotova looks like she won comfortably. Is that the headline?
Mimi
Partly. The 58 to 38 split is wide, and Gyurov conceded. But the first round was 35 to 32, much tighter than the polls predicted.
Luke
And the 58 percent is from several polling agencies' counts, not official results. Those are due Monday.
Mark
Why does a largely ceremonial office matter this much?
Mimi
It carries symbolic weight, and the first elected woman head of state is a milestone. Her views on Russia and Ukraine also set the country's tone abroad.
Luke
Though how much she can change policy is a separate question. The source says the office is largely ceremonial, and nothing here shows what she'd actually do.
Mark
What about the turnout?
Mimi
About 27 to 29 percent, up from a record-low 23. Voters told AFP they were picking the lesser evil.
Luke
Two voters are anecdotes, not a measure of the mood. The turnout figure is an exit-poll estimate too.
Mark
And the missing sailors?
Mimi
Twenty-one people are still missing after the drone attacks. Radev says they appear to serve Moscow's interests.
Luke
But his own government said there's no evidence directly linking them to Moscow. Suspected spillover is not a confirmed attribution.
Der Puls
- Initial counts put Iotova near 58 percent against Gyurov's 38, with official confirmation not due until Monday.
- Turnout hovered around 27 to 29 percent, a modest rise from the record-low 23 percent of the first round, and voters described choosing the lesser evil.
- Drone strikes on commercial ships off the Black Sea coast left 21 people missing, and the campaign grew tense over how to name Moscow as the culprit.
- Iotova's refusal to blame Russia outright and her opposition to military aid to Ukraine keep Brussels and Kyiv watching closely for what comes next.
On a Sunday evening that marked a quiet turning point for a small Balkan democracy, Bulgaria's acting president Iliana Iotova appeared to have won the presidential run-off against the banker Andrey Gyurov, who conceded without contesting the early count. If official figures confirm it, she will be the first woman her country has chosen as head of state, though the office itself is largely ceremonial and the vote unfolded in a mood of weary resignation. The contest carried the weight of a nation looking outward, where questions of Russia, the war in Ukraine and the safety of its Black Sea coast pressed against ordinary civic life.
On Sunday evening, Bulgaria's acting president Iliana Iotova appeared to have won the presidential run-off. Early counts put her at about 58 percent, while Andrey Gyurov, a banker and former caretaker prime minister backed by the pro-Western opposition, trailed at roughly 38 percent and accepted the result without dispute. If the official count confirms it, Iotova, who is 61, will become the first woman Bulgarians have elected head of state.
Her rise followed an unexpected path. She took over in January when her longtime ally Rumen Radev resigned to run in a parliamentary election, which he won and now leads as prime minister. Iotova favours dialogue with Russia and opposes military aid to Ukraine. Congratulations arrived quickly from Brussels, where Ursula von der Leyen spoke of continued work on security, competitiveness and energy independence.
The mood among voters was muted. Turnout reached only about 27 to 29 percent, slightly above the record-low first round. Some voters, like retired engineer Petar Doitchinov, chose the lesser evil because neither candidate matched their idea of democracy. The first round had already warned of trouble, with Iotova leading only 35 to 32 percent, far narrower than polls had predicted.
The shadow of war hung over the race. Drone attacks on commercial vessels off the Black Sea coast last month left 21 people missing, and they are suspected to be spillover from Russia's war on Ukraine. Both candidates condemned the attacks, but Gyurov criticised Iotova for not explicitly blaming Moscow, while she insisted that peace can come only through negotiation. Monday's official count will show whether her stance on Russia and the Black Sea will shape Bulgaria's relations with Brussels and Kyiv.
On Sunday evening, Bulgaria's acting president, Iliana Iotova, appeared to have won the presidential run-off, and her opponent had already conceded. Several polling agencies put her at about 58 percent of the vote. Andrey Gyurov, a banker and former caretaker prime minister, was trailing at roughly 38 percent. If official results confirm the count, Iotova will be the first woman Bulgarians have elected as head of state.
Gyurov, backed by the pro-Western opposition, did not contest the numbers. He said the results had to be accepted as they stood, and that this was how Bulgarian citizens had voted. Official figures are expected on Monday, as ballots are counted for an office that is largely ceremonial.
Iotova is 61. She became acting president in January, when her longtime ally Rumen Radev resigned as president to run in a parliamentary election, which he won. Radev is now prime minister. She advocates dialogue with Russia and opposes military aid to Ukraine. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated her on X, saying she looked forward to continuing joint work on security and defence, competitiveness and energy independence.
Turnout was low. Exit polls put participation at about 27 to 29 percent, slightly above the first round a week earlier, which set a record low of 23 percent. Voters interviewed by AFP described a joyless choice. Krassimira Kostova, a 64-year-old teacher in Sofia, said she did not like either candidate but voted anyway. Petar Doitchinov, a 67-year-old retired engineer, had skipped the first round because he expected a run-off. He said he chose the lesser evil, because neither candidate matched his vision of democracy.
The campaign unfolded under the shadow of Russia's war on Ukraine. Last month a series of drone attacks hit commercial vessels off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast, and 21 people remain missing. The attacks are suspected to be spillover from the war. Radev has said they appear to serve Moscow's interests and summoned the Russian ambassador, though his government said there was no evidence directly tying them to Moscow.
Both candidates condemned the attacks and called for a diplomatic end to the war. They differed on how to talk about Russia. In a television debate, Gyurov criticised Iotova for not explicitly blaming Moscow, saying Russia must stop its aggression so that the next steps can be taken. Iotova said peace can come only through negotiations. After voting, she said she wanted Bulgaria to be strong in a strong Europe and sovereign in its decisions.
The first round suggested her position was less secure than expected. She won 35 percent to Gyurov's 32, far narrower than the 20-point lead opinion polls had predicted. Political analyst Teodor Slavev told AFP that voters were passing judgement on her unconvincing response to the Russian threats in the Black Sea.
What to watch now is Monday's official count, and how Iotova's stance on Russia and the Black Sea attacks shapes Bulgaria's dealings with Brussels and Kyiv.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
This is how the Bulgarian citizens have voted.— Andrey Gyurov, conceding defeat
Peace can come only through negotiations.— Iliana Iotova
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