Pro-Russian Candidate Iliana Yotova Leads Bulgaria's Presidential Runoff
With over 90% of precincts counted, acting head of state Iliana Yotova is winning the second round of Bulgaria's presidential election. Her opponent, former prime minister Andrey Gyurov, trails by about 18 percentage points.
Iliana Yotova, who is currently performing the duties of Bulgaria's head of state on an interim basis, has won the presidential runoff held on 1 November, according to preliminary data from the Central Election Commission. Ukrainian outlet European Pravda describes her as a pro-Russian candidate. The result matters for the foreign policy direction of the EU and NATO member, since her rival, Andrey Gyurov, represents a pro-Western and pro-Ukrainian line.
Vote count
Data published by Bulgarian National Television (BNT) and the BTA news agency show that, with 92.39% of precinct protocols processed, Yotova and her running mate Kiril Vilchev had 57.36% of the vote. Gyurov and his running mate Georgi Kandev had 39.68%. Yotova received more than 1,022,000 votes and Gyurov more than 707,000. The "I do not support anyone" option was chosen by about 52,800 people, or 2.96%.
The candidates and their positions
According to European Pravda, Yotova was the clear poll favourite from the start of the campaign. She is an ally of Prime Minister Rumen Radev and was therefore associated with him and the policies of "Progressive Bulgaria". The outlet criticises those policies for contradictory actions toward Western partners and Ukraine, pressure on free speech and journalists' work, and a lack of reaction to Russian drone attacks on commercial ships in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone.
Gyurov, a former acting prime minister, was behind the security agreement signed with Ukraine this spring. He was backed by the "PP-DB" coalition, which unites the parties "We Continue the Change" and "Democratic Bulgaria". His programme calls for closer ties with EU and NATO partners and a tougher stance against the Russian threat.
Background
The first round took place on 25 October and was marked by low turnout. Yotova received 34.6% and Gyurov 31.9%. Before the runoff, several former Bulgarian prime ministers and ministers urged people to vote for the pro-Ukrainian candidate.
