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Bulgaria's Acting President Iotova Wins Run-Off, Exit Polls Show
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In Short: Acting President Iliana Iotova leads in Bulgaria's presidential run-off exit polls, with her rival conceding defeat.
Acting President Iliana Iotova appears to have won Bulgaria's presidential run-off, according to initial exit polls, with her rival conceding defeat. Iotova, 61, took over as acting president in January when Prime Minister Rumen Radev resigned to run in and win a parliamentary election.
Exit polls indicate voter turnout was about 27 to 29 percent, slightly higher than the first-round race last week, which had a record-low turnout of 23 percent. Iotova received 58 percent of the vote in Sunday’s run-off, according to several polling agencies’ counts, while her rival, Andrey Gyurov, received about 42 percent.
In the first round of voting last week, Iotova won 35 percent, with Gyurov on 32 percent, a much narrower gap than the 20-point lead opinion polls had predicted for Iotova. If confirmed, Iotova would become the first woman elected directly to the presidency of Bulgaria.
Iotova, who advocates for dialogue with Russia and opposes military aid to Ukraine, said, “Peace can come only through negotiations.” However, some voters were critical of her stance. Krassimira Kostova, a 64-year-old teacher in Sofia, told the AFP news agency, “I don’t like either of the two candidates.” Petar Doitchinov, a 67-year-old retired engineer, said he had skipped the first round last week because he expected a run-off.
Political analyst Teodor Slavev told AFP that voters were passing judgement on “Iotova’s unconvincing response regarding Russian threats in the Black Sea.” He added that he voted for “the lesser evil,” as neither candidate matched his “vision of democracy.”
The run-off was overshadowed by drone attacks on ships off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast. Two Turkish-owned commercial ships were reportedly struck, sinking one and leaving the crew of the other missing. Five crew members were rescued from the sunken ship, identified as the Guinea-Bissau-flagged HS Dignity.
The attacks prompted Bulgaria to summon Russia’s ambassador and seek support for stronger maritime and airspace surveillance. Radev asked von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte by phone for help bolstering Bulgaria’s maritime and airspace surveillance.
Iotova, after casting her vote, said she wanted to address “the dire issue of poverty” in the EU’s poorest member state, “alongside inequalities and regional disparities.”
What's confirmed
- Exit polls put voter participation at about 27 to 29 percent, slightly higher than the first-round race last week, which had a record-low turnout of 23 percent.
- Iotova, 61, took over as acting president in January, when her longtime ally, Prime Minister Rumen Radev, resigned to run in, and win, a parliamentary election.
- Petar Doitchinov, a 67-year-old retired engineer, said he had skipped the first round last week because he expected a run-off.
- In the first round of voting last week, Iotova won 35 percent, with Gyurov on 32 percent, a much narrower gap than the 20-point lead opinion polls had predicted for Iotova.
- Iotova said that “peace can come only through negotiations”.
- A week earlier, drones sank another ship in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone, leaving nine Syrian sailors and one Egyptian lost at sea Eleven sailors were missing at sea Tuesday after drones struck two cargo ships off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast overnight and sank one, Bulgarian officials said.
- Radev asked von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte by phone for help bolstering Bulgaria’s maritime and airspace surveillance.
What's still developing
- Official results showed Iotova ahead by fewer than 43,000 votes, which made the runoff necessary.
- The office of Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova said two ships had been hit by drones in Bulgaria's Black Sea economic zone, without providing further details.
- “Those responsible should be held accountable,” she added.