In Bulgaria, Iliana Yotova, who advocates resuming dialogue with Russia and opposes military aid to Ukraine, has won the presidential election. According to preliminary data from the Central Electoral Commission, with 99.95% of the ballot papers counted, she received 57.58% of the votes. Her opponent, the pro-Western politician and former Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov, received 39.47% and has already conceded defeat.
- Iliana Yotova has won the Bulgarian presidential election with 57.58% votes.
- Her pro-Western rival, Andrei Gyurov, received 39,47% and conceded defeat.
- Yotova advocates diplomatic dialogue with Russia and opposes military aid to Ukraine.
- The winner will become the first woman to be elected President of Bulgaria in a nationwide election.
Results of the second round of the presidential election
The second round took place on 1 November. Along with Yotova a candidate for the vice-presidency stood in the election Kirill Vilchev, and from Gyurov - Georgi Kandev.
As at 07:30 on 2 November, the results of the vote count were as follows:
- Iliyana Yotova and Kiril Vilchev — 57.581 TP3T (1,093,564 votes).
- Andrei Gyurov and Georgi Kandev — 39.471 TP3T (749,543 votes).
- Did not support any candidate — 2,95%.
Voter turnout stood at approximately 27%.
Following the announcement of the preliminary results, Gyurov conceded defeat, stating that he accepted the decision of the Bulgarian electorate. He also emphasised the need to unite society around common goals.
Yotova will become the first woman to be elected President of Bulgaria on national elections.
Yotova’s stance on Russia and the war in Ukraine
Iliana Yotova is a political ally of the Prime Minister Rumena Radeva, who previously served as Prime Minister of Bulgaria and has repeatedly spoken out against the provision of military aid to Ukraine.
During her election campaign, Yotova called for a diplomatic resolution to the Russian-Ukrainian war and the resumption of talks with Moscow. She also supported the idea of expanding diplomatic contacts between the European Union and Russia.
At the same time, Yotova emphasised the need for Bulgaria to maintain an independent foreign policy and its place within the European Union.
Her rival, Andrei Gyurov, represented the pro-Western political camp and consistently supported Ukraine. Whilst serving as acting Prime Minister, he signed a security cooperation agreement between Sofia and Kyiv.
Who is Iliana Yotova?
Iliana Yotova previously worked as a journalist, served as a Member of the European Parliament, and has held the post of Vice-President of Bulgaria since 2017.
In January 2026, she took over as head of state following the early resignation of Rumen Radev, who had decided to return to party politics. Subsequently, his political party, «Progressive Bulgaria», secured a parliamentary majority, and Radev himself became Prime Minister.
Yotova’s victory means that the presidency will remain in the hands of the incumbent Prime Minister’s political ally.
In Bulgaria, the President has mainly ceremonial powers, but is the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, can veto laws, appoints ambassadors and plays a role in the country’s international relations.
