Bulgaria: Pro-Russian Iliana Iotova Wins Presidential Election

Backed by former Bulgarian President Roumen Radev, a Kremlin ally who is now prime minister, Iliana Iotova won the second round of Bulgaria's presidential election on Sunday, according to final results published on Monday, November 2, by the Central Election Commission.

Serving as interim president since January following the resignation of Roumen Radev, who stepped down to seek the post of head of government, Iliana Iotova secured 57.6% of the vote after all ballots were counted. She finished well ahead of her opponent, the pro-European former interim Prime Minister Andrei Gyurov, who garnered 39.5% of the ballots, making her the first woman elected to the presidency of this nation of 6.4 million people—one of the poorest in the European Union and also a NATO member.

Iliana Iotova, 62, had led Andrei Gyurov, 50, in the first round but fell short of the 50% threshold in a race featuring 27 candidates. Voter turnout was historically low at just 23% in the first round and remained subdued this Sunday, coming in under 30%.

The War in Ukraine as a Backdrop

Bulgaria's presidential election took place against a backdrop marked by a series of drone attacks in October against merchant vessels in the Black Sea off the Bulgarian coast. Both leading presidential contenders condemned the strikes, which have raised international concerns over a possible spillover of the war in Ukraine. To bring the conflict to an end, Iliana Iotova advocates dialogue with Moscow. "Pouring more money into Ukraine, supplying new and more sophisticated weapons, only leads to more destruction and the death of many people on both sides," she said during a debate last Thursday.

"I voted for Bulgaria to be a strong state in a strong Europe, but also for Bulgaria to have its own foreign policy and a voice when it needs to defend what is most important: the national interest," said the former journalist and prominent figure in the Socialist Party on Sunday.

Against her, Andrei Gyurov enjoyed the backing of pro-Western reformist parties. Having signed a security cooperation agreement with Kyiv while serving as prime minister, he has long expressed staunch support for Ukraine. "Russia must end its aggression so that the next steps can be taken," he stated during the debate last week. Several right-wing political figures, including former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, had also endorsed him.

Bulgaria is a parliamentary republic where the head of government wields the bulk of executive authority, while the head of state performs an essentially ceremonial role. Nevertheless, the president holds veto power over legislation and serves as the supreme commander of the armed forces.