Iliana Iotova would develop into the nation’s first elected feminine president if outcomes verify her win on Monday.
Revealed On 1 Nov 2026
Bulgaria’s performing President Iliana Iotova is main the presidential election run-off, in accordance with exit polls within the race overshadowed by drone assaults on ships off the nation’s Black Beach.
Iotova, who advocates for dialogue with Moscow and opposes navy support to Ukraine, received simply over half the vote in Sunday’s run-off, in accordance with three exit polls, reported Bulgaria’s official information company, BTA.
Advisable Tales
record of three objectsfinish of record
Iotova had 51 p.c in comparison with about 44 p.c for her rival, Andrey Gyurov, who’s backed by the pro-Western opposition.
Exit polls put voter participation at about 27 to 29 p.c, barely increased than the first-round race final week, which had a record-low turnout of 23 p.c.
Official outcomes are anticipated on Monday as ballots are counted for the presidency which is essentially ceremonial.
If confirmed, Iotova would develop into Bulgaria’s first elected feminine president.
The 61-year-old took over as performing president in January, when her longtime ally Prime Minister Rumen Radev resigned to run in, and win, a parliamentary election.
“I don’t like both of the 2 candidates,” Krassimira Kostova, a 64-year-old instructor within the capital Sofia, who voted anyway, informed the AFP information company.
Petar Doitchinov, a 67-year-old retired engineer, stated he had skipped the primary spherical final week as a result of he anticipated a run-off. He stated he voted for “the lesser evil”, as neither candidate matched his “imaginative and prescient of democracy”.
The vote comes as 21 individuals stay lacking following a series of drone attacks final month on business vessels off the nation’s Black Beach. They’re suspected to be spillover from the Russia-Ukraine struggle.
PM Radev has stated that the assaults seem to serve Russian pursuits and summoned the Russian ambassador, although his authorities stated there was no proof straight linking them to Moscow.
Each presidential candidates have condemned the assaults and referred to as for a diplomatic finish to the struggle in Ukraine.
Gyurov, a banker and former caretaker prime minister, criticised Iotova in a tv debate for not explicitly blaming Russia. “Russia should cease its aggression in order that the following steps will be taken,” he stated.
Iotova stated “peace can come solely by means of negotiations”. After voting, she stated she wished “Bulgaria to be sturdy in a powerful Europe” and “sovereign in its choices”.
Within the first spherical of voting last week, Iotova received 35 p.c, with Gyurov on 32 p.c – a a lot narrower hole than the 20-point lead predicted by opinion polls for Iotova.
Political analyst Teodor Slavev informed AFP that voters had been passing judgement on “Iotova’s unconvincing response concerning Russian threats within the Black Sea”.
