Iliana Yotova wins Bulgaria’s presidential election with 57.6% — Interia
Iliana Yotova won the second round of Bulgaria’s presidential election, receiving 57.6% of the vote. Her opponent, former caretaker prime minister Andrey Gyurov, received 39.5% support. According to Interia, the results were announced by Bulgaria’s Central Election Commission. Yotova became the first woman elected president of the country.
The inauguration of the president-elect is scheduled for January 22, 2027. Before the election, Yotova served as acting head of state after Rumen Radev left the presidency in January, a post he had held since 2017, to take part in parliamentary elections. According to the publication, his Progressive Bulgaria coalition won an absolute majority in the April election.
Position on Russia and the war
During the campaign, 62-year-old Yotova stated her intention to continue Radev’s policy: maintaining Bulgaria’s pro-European course while seeking improved relations with the Russian Federation, an aggressor state, and the lifting of sanctions against Moscow.
She also shares Radev’s position on Russia’s war against Ukraine and advocates for its diplomatic resolution. Yotova opposed further military aid to Kyiv, arguing that the conflict has no military solution.
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Gyurov was supported by pro-Western reformist forces. He has long declared support for Ukraine, and in March 2026, as head of the interim government, signed a security cooperation agreement with Kyiv.
Attacks in the Black Sea
The election took place amid a series of drone attacks on merchant vessels in the Black Sea. At least 24 sailors have been killed near the Bulgarian coast as a result of these attacks over the past month. Both candidates condemned the attacks.
The main executive powers in Bulgaria belong to parliament and the government. At the same time, the president is commander-in-chief of the armed forces, can veto laws, appoints ambassadors, and signs international agreements. The head of state is elected by popular vote for a five-year term, with the possibility of one re-election.
