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Bulgaria's Iotova Wins Presidential Run-Off, Projected First Female President
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In Short: Acting President Iliana Iotova has won Bulgaria's presidential run-off, according to exit polls, with voter turnout slightly higher than the first round.
Acting President Iliana Iotova has emerged as the apparent winner of Bulgaria's presidential run-off, according to initial results and exit polls. Her rival, Andrey Gyurov, has conceded defeat, acknowledging the results as they stand.
Exit polls indicate that voter turnout was around 27 to 29 percent, a slight increase from the first round last week, which saw a record-low turnout of 23 percent. Iotova, who took over as acting president in January when Prime Minister Rumen Radev resigned to run in the parliamentary election, is projected to receive between 50.7% and 52.5% of the vote, compared with between 43.4% and 44% for Gyurov, according to three different exit polls.
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. Gyurov, who is backed by the pro-Western opposition, is said to be trailing at about 38 percent, according to Al Jazeera.
Iotova, 61, advocates for dialogue with Russia and opposes military aid to Ukraine. She emphasized the importance of peace through negotiations, stating, 'Peace can come only through negotiations.' She also expressed her commitment to continuing joint work on security, defense, competitiveness, and energy independence.
Gyurov criticized Iotova in a television debate for not explicitly blaming Russia for the Black Sea attacks, saying, 'Russia must stop its aggression so that the next steps can be taken.' He conceded defeat, acknowledging that 'this is how the Bulgarian citizens have voted,' and added that the results had to be accepted as they stood.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Iotova on X, recognizing her victory. Iotova, who favours dialogue with Moscow and opposes military aid to Ukraine, is projected to become Bulgaria's first elected female president if the results are confirmed.
Petar Doitchinov, a 67-year-old retired engineer, said he had skipped the first round last week because he expected a run-off. He voted for 'the lesser evil,' as neither candidate matched his 'vision of democracy.'
What this adds
The race for the largely ceremonial post pitted Iotova, an ally of Prime Minister Rumen Radev, against Andrey Gyurov, a banker and former caretaker prime minister backed by the pro-Western opposition.
What's confirmed
- 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”.
- Political analyst Teodor Slavev told the AFP news agency that voters were passing judgement on “Iotova’s unconvincing response regarding Russian threats in the Black Sea”.
- Gyurov criticised Iotova in a television debate for not explicitly blaming Russia for the Black Sea attacks, saying: "Russia must stop its aggression so that the next steps can be taken,".
- After voting, she said she wanted “Bulgaria to be strong in a strong Europe” and “sovereign in its decisions”.
- If confirmed, Iotova would become Bulgaria’s first elected female president.
What's still developing
- Nothing material beyond the confirmed record.