Bulgaria’s presidential election to go to a runoff — Der Spiegel

Bulgaria’s presidential election will go to a runoff: incumbent President Iliana Iotova and former head of the caretaker government Andrey Gyurov will compete for the post of head of state, Der Spiegel reports.

First-round results

According to a projection by the Bulgarian polling institute Mjara, Iotova received 35% of the vote, while Gyurov received 31.9%. Neither candidate won an absolute majority.

Voter turnout was 22.2%, which, according to the publication, is significantly below the required level of more than 50%. The runoff is due to take place next Sunday. In pre-election polls, Iotova’s lead over her opponent was larger than the current projections indicate.

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Foreign policy dimension

The 50-year-old Gyurov is supported by the reformist liberal-conservative opposition camp. Der Spiegel calls him a pro-Western candidate. It is currently unknown whether he will be able to attract additional votes in the runoff.

Russia’s war against Ukraine gives the election foreign policy significance, the publication notes. Voters will also decide whether Bulgaria, which is a member of the EU and NATO and is located on the Alliance’s eastern flank, will choose a more consistent Western course, which can be expected from Gyurov. Former journalist Iotova, meanwhile, has repeatedly advocated ending the war through negotiations.