Yotova wins Bulgaria's presidential election
Official results show that Bulgaria's incumbent head of state Iliana Yotova has won the presidential election with 57.5% of the vote. Her opponent Andrey Gyurov received 39.4%.
Yotova, 62, has won Bulgaria's presidential election, according to official results. She took 57.5% of the vote, while Andrey Gyurov, backed by pro-Western opposition parties, received 39.4%. The result determines who will lead this European Union and NATO member state for the next five years.
Who the winner is
Yotova is a former journalist and member of the European Parliament. In both 2016 and 2021 she was elected vice president, running alongside Rumen Radev, who won the presidency. In January this year she took over as president when Radev stepped down to run in parliamentary elections, after which he became prime minister.
Yotova supports Bulgaria's membership of the EU and NATO. At the same time, she is critical of providing military and financial aid to Ukraine and favours negotiations with Russia.
Campaign themes
The campaign was dominated by economic issues, including inflation and rising energy prices. Considerable attention was also given to Russia's renewed invasion of Ukraine and its consequences, such as drone attacks on ships in the Black Sea.
The vote was the first serious test for Radev's party, Progressive Bulgaria, after its triumph in the parliamentary elections held in April.
Powers of the presidency
In Bulgaria the presidency is largely ceremonial. Even so, the president selects several senior security and judicial officials and may appoint a caretaker technocratic government if political forces cannot agree on forming a cabinet. The term of office is five years, and one person cannot serve more than two consecutive terms.
