Bulgaria elects its first woman president by popular vote as Yotova wins runoff

Iliana Yotova, who has held office since January, won Bulgaria's presidential runoff held on November 1 with approximately 58 percent of the vote. Andrey Gyurov, backed by the opposition, received 39.5 percent, while voter turnout remained low.

Incumbent President Iliana Yotova won Bulgaria's presidential runoff held on Sunday. According to data released by the Central Election Commission after 99.95 percent of the ballots had been counted, Yotova and her running mate Valchev received 57.58 percent of the vote, or approximately 1.1 million votes. The Andrey Gyurov–Georgi Kandev ticket, backed by the opposition, received 39.47 percent, or approximately 749,500 votes. About 3 percent of voters selected the option “I support no one.”

At 62, Yotova became the first woman elected head of state by popular vote in the country of 6.4 million people.

She took office after Radev’s resignation

Yotova, who was born in Sofia, entered politics after working as a reporter, editor and news director at Bulgarian National Television. She headed the press center of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, served as a member of parliament from 2005 to 2007, and was a member of the European Parliament from 2007 to 2017. She was elected vice president alongside Rumen Radev in the 2016 and 2021 elections.

Bulgaristan Cumhurbaşkanı İliana Yotova'nın hayatını anlatan AA infografiği

After Radev resigned on January 19 to run in the parliamentary elections, Yotova assumed the presidency on January 23. She came first in the first round on October 25 with 34.6 percent and advanced to the runoff alongside Gyurov, who received 32 percent. Turnout in the first round was a record low of 23 percent, while turnout in the second round was estimated at around 27 percent.

“Incomes, peace and the challenges ahead”

Declaring her victory alongside Radev, who is now prime minister, Yotova said her campaign had focused on “incomes, peace and the challenges ahead.” While supporting Bulgaria’s membership in the EU and NATO, Yotova argues that the war in Ukraine can end only through negotiations and opposes military aid to Kyiv. Radev assessed the result by saying, “The Bulgarian people chose the future over the past today.”

Gyurov, a former deputy governor of the Bulgarian central bank and former caretaker prime minister, said he accepted the results “as they are.” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also congratulated Yotova and said she expected continued cooperation in security, defense, competitiveness and energy independence.

The election was held in the shadow of drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea off Bulgaria in October, in which 21 people went missing.

Visuals: RTÉ, AA

Have a story, event or announcement of your own?Send us your news on WhatsApp

Spotted an error in this story?Report it on WhatsApp

Share on all social platforms