Iliana Iotova Wins Bulgarian Presidency as First Woman Elected to the Office

Bulgaria's Central Election Commission declared Iliana Iotova and Kiril Valchev elected president and vice president on November 3. They received 1,093,852 valid votes, or 57.57 percent, in the November 1 runoff. Andrey Gurov and Georgi Kandev received 750,251 votes, or 39.48 percent.

Iotova, 61, becomes the first woman directly elected president of Bulgaria. She had served as acting president since January after Rumen Radev resigned to enter parliamentary politics and win a seat. She is a former member of the European Parliament and has been Radev's vice president since 2017.

The presidency is largely ceremonial, but the result strengthens Radev's position. Both Iotova and Radev have called for a diplomatic end to the war in Ukraine and have expressed skepticism about further military aid to Kyiv. Gurov, a former caretaker prime minister, ran with the support of pro-Western parties and has expressed support for Ukraine.

Turnout in the runoff was about 29 percent, higher than the first-round figure of under 23 percent. Iotova won in 28 of the country's electoral districts. Gurov finished first in three districts, including two in Sofia and Kardzhali. Among voters abroad, Gurov received a majority.

Iotova's campaign emphasized dialogue and coordination among institutions. She said after the vote that people had chosen peace, stability and normalcy. Radev attended her briefing and answered many questions from the press. Both candidates had condemned recent attacks during the campaign.

The new mandate begins on January 22, 2027. Iotova will be Bulgaria's seventh president since the 1989 changes. Her election aligns the presidency more closely with the current government's approach to foreign policy. Gurov conceded the result and said the voters' decision must be accepted.

The first round on October 25 produced a narrower gap than polls had suggested. That outcome raised the possibility of a closer runoff. The second-round margin of roughly 18 points confirmed Iotova's advantage once more voters participated. About 56,000 ballots selected the option of supporting neither candidate.

Iotova has said she will maintain Bulgaria's membership in the European Union and NATO while seeking improved relations with Russia. Her running mate, Kiril Valchev, has said strengthening ties with Bulgarian communities abroad will be a priority. The result leaves the pro-Western opposition without the presidency as a potential counterweight.

Radev's government has governed alone after earlier parliamentary shifts. The presidential election was seen by some analysts as a test of his political strength. Iotova's clear victory provides that boost. The low overall turnout remains a feature of recent Bulgarian contests.

The Central Election Commission adopted its decision unanimously. The result will be published in the State Gazette. Iotova thanked supporters and said the campaign had faced pressure but that voters had rejected that approach. She has not yet taken the oath for the new term.