Bulgarians on Sunday elected incumbent Preisent Iliana Iotova, a proponent of dialogue with Moscow, in a runoff race pitting her against Andrey Gyurov, a former caretaker prime minister backed by the pro-Western opposition. The vote was held as a series of drone attacks in the Black Sea heightened security concerns.

Issued on: 01/11/2026 - 06:47Modified: 02/11/2026 - 13:20

Bulgaria's incumbent President Iliana Iotova, who favours dialogue with Moscow and opposes military aid to Ukraine, won a presidential runoff vote on Sunday.

Read moreBulgaria searches for missing crew as drones hit two Black Sea ships

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.

Iotova gained between 57.4 percent and 58.2 percent of the vote, according to estimates from several polling institutes, well ahead of Gyurov, who garnered between 38.6 percent and 39.6 percent.

Flanked by Radev, a jubilant Iotova declared victory, saying her message had focused on "incomes, peace and the challenges that lie ahead".

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Iotova.

"From security and defence to our competitiveness and energy independence, I look forward to continuing our joint work. For a strong Bulgaria in a strong Europe," she said on X.

Iotova took over the post of president earlier this year from Radev, with Sunday's vote making her the first elected woman president in the country of 6.4 million people.

Read moreNATO to address drone attacks in the Black Sea after seven missing off Romania

'Clear path forward'

The vote took place amid security concerns in the EU and NATO member following a series of drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea.

Several vessels were struck in the Black Sea off Bulgaria in October, leaving 21 people missing, in suspected spillover from the Russia-Ukraine war.

While centre-left Radev has said the attacks appeared to serve Russian interests and summoned the Russian ambassador, his government insists there is so far no evidence directly linking them to Moscow.

"Today, the Bulgarian people have chosen the future over the past," said Radev, who also advocates dialogue with Moscow.

"They have opted for normalcy and a stable, clear path forward."

Iotova, 62, took over the post of president earlier this year from Radev, who stepped down to run in parliamentary elections.

Sunday's vote means she is set to become the first elected woman president in the country of 6.4 million people.

Gyurov, 50 and a former deputy governor of the Bulgarian National Bank, told reporters that he accepted "the results as they are.

"We have laid a solid foundation upon which we can build," he added, emphasising the importance of seeking unity.

'Strong Bulgaria'

After voting in Sofia, Iotova, 62, said she wanted "Bulgaria to be strong in a strong Europe" and remaining "sovereign in its decisions".

A longtime ally of Radev, she supports Bulgaria's EU and NATO membership while arguing that peace in Ukraine can be achieved only through negotiations.

Gyurov, 50, said after voting in Blagoevgrad that he had voted for a "secure, stable and European Bulgaria".

In a television debate before the runoff, Gyurov criticised Iotova for not explicitly blaming Russia for the Black Sea attacks.

"Russia must stop its aggression so that the next steps can be taken," said Gyurov, a former deputy governor of the Bulgarian National Bank.

Iotova maintained that "peace can come only through negotiations".

Read more'It is clear that sooner or later we will have European casualties', Romanian MEP

Radev has also argued that a ceasefire and peace talks offer the best chance of preventing further attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea.

He has presented Iotova as a pair of "safe hands".

A former journalist and member of the European Parliament, Iotova was elected vice-president alongside Radev in 2016 and 2021.

She took over as president this year when Radev stepped down to run in parliamentary elections.

Historically close to Russia, Bulgaria remains deeply divided over its relationship with Moscow.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Keywords for this article

The content you requested does not exist or is not available anymore.