The key facts

  • Yotova polls about 58% against ~38% for Gyurov according to exit polls
  • Official confirmation is expected by Monday
  • The war in Ukraine and drone attacks in the Black Sea became the central themes of the election

Preliminary result of the runoff

Bulgaria's incumbent president Iliana Yotova, according to preliminary estimates from several polling institutes, received about 58% of the vote in Sunday's presidential runoff. Her rival, former caretaker prime minister Andrey Gyurov, who was backed by pro-Western opposition parties, is polling at about 38%. This is reported by Deutsche Welle. Gyurov conceded defeat, saying that “this is how Bulgarian citizens voted,” while European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Yotova.

What the victory means

If the official results, expected by Monday, confirm the figures, Yotova will become the first elected woman head of state in Bulgaria's history. The post of president is largely ceremonial, but the head of state is commander-in-chief of the armed forces, can appoint caretaker governments during political crises, and can veto laws; direct election strengthens the political weight of the office. Yotova, 62, is an ally of incumbent prime minister Rumen Radev; she took over as acting president in January, when Radev resigned to run in the parliamentary elections.

The war in Ukraine as the central campaign theme

The elections took place amid growing concern about security in the Black Sea, which washes Bulgaria's shores, due to increasingly frequent drone attacks on commercial vessels. Yotova positioned herself as a “president of peace,” opposes military aid to Ukraine and advocates dialogue with Moscow. In a televised appearance before the runoff, Gyurov accused her of avoiding direct criticism of Russia over the attacks in the Black Sea: “Russia must stop its aggression so that the next steps can be taken. Let us name the country from which the threats come.” Yotova responded that “peace can come only through negotiations,” and that continuing aid to Ukraine “leads only to greater destruction and the deaths of many people on both sides.” According to DW's assessment, if her victory is confirmed, Yotova will likely follow a line similar to Radev's course: preserving Bulgaria's European path, but seeking rapprochement with Russia and advocating the lifting of sanctions.