The key facts

  • According to parallel counts by agencies, Yotova and her vice-presidential candidate Kiril Vilchev are receiving 57.4–58.2% of the vote
  • Andrey Gyurov conceded defeat, receiving, according to various data, 38.6–39.6%
  • Turnout in the second round was 27.2% versus 23% in the first

Second-round results

On November 1, 2026, the second round of the presidential election was held in Bulgaria. According to Bulgarian National Radio, as cited by Kun.uz, in the parallel count by the Mira agency, the ticket of Iliana Yotova and vice-presidential candidate Kiril Vilchev received 58.2% of the vote, while the ticket of former prime minister Andrey Gyurov and Georgi Kandev received 38.6%. In the Alpha Research count, Yotova received 57.4% and Gyurov 39.6%. These figures are not the official results. DW's German edition is already reporting Yotova's victory in the election.

Concession and campaign context

At a briefing, Andrey Gyurov conceded defeat, although, in his words, the result came as a surprise to him. “Nothing was in vain; the best is yet to come. We have created a good foundation for development,” he said, adding that Bulgaria faces “hard times” and that the country needs to seek paths to unity in order to address common tasks.

What is known about the winner

If the official results confirm her victory, Yotova will become the first woman to win a presidential election in Bulgaria. She took office as head of state in January 2026, moving up from the vice-presidency after Rumen Radev's early resignation. According to Kun.uz, the former journalist and member of the European Parliament Yotova, like Radev, has a warmer attitude toward Russia than her political opponents, whereas Gyurov promoted pro-European views and relied on the support of the liberal-conservative opposition. DW notesthat the election was important for Bulgaria's foreign policy, including its stance on Russia's war against Ukraine and its ties with Moscow.

Turnout and the first round

According to the Mira agency, turnout in the second round was 27.2% — slightly higher than the 23% in the first round on October 25. Back then, none of the 27 candidates won the required majority: Yotova received 34.76%, Gyurov 31.95%, and Kostadin Kostadinov of the nationalist party Vazrazhdane (Revival) 12.54%. Under the rules, winning in the first round required more than half of the votes with turnout of at least half of voters. The president of Bulgaria is elected for a five-year term.