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Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova, who backs dialogue with Moscow and rejects military assistance for Ukraine, won Sunday’s runoff, defeating Andrey Gyurov, the candidate supported by the pro-Western opposition.
Iotova, an ally of Prime Minister Rumen Radev, took 57.4%-58.2% of the vote in the race for the mostly ceremonial office, polling institutes estimated, while Gyurov, a banker and onetime caretaker premier, trailed at 38.6%-39.6%.
Standing beside Radev, Iotova celebrated her win, declaring that her campaign had centered on “incomes, peace and the challenges that lie ahead.” European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen congratulated her and said on X she looked forward to further cooperation on security, defense, competitiveness and energy independence.
Security worries shadowed the vote after drone strikes hit several commercial ships off the Bulgarian coast in the Black Sea in October, leaving 21 people missing in incidents believed to stem from the Russia-Ukraine war.
“Today, the Bulgarian people have chosen the future over the past,” said Radev, who also favors engagement with the Kremlin. The prime minister had earlier called the drone strikes seemingly beneficial to Russian interests and summoned Moscow’s ambassador, although his government insists nothing so far proves a direct connection.
Iotova, 62, assumed office earlier this year when Radev quit to run in the legislative race, and Sunday’s result puts her on track to become the country’s first elected woman president.
Long tied to Russia, Bulgaria stays sharply split over relations with Moscow. Sociologist Boryana Dimitrova of the Alpha Research institute told Agence France-Presse the campaign played on fears of war, noting Iotova cast herself as the “president of peace.”
Gyurov, 50, accepted the outcome and stressed the need for unity. Turnout reached a projected 27% in the runoff, up from a record-low 23% in the opening round.
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