Bulgaria: Russia-friendly incumbent Yotova wins presidential runoff, projections show
Bulgaria's presidential runoff on Sunday pitted incumbent Ilijana Yotova, backed by the ruling center-left Progressive Bulgaria party and Socialists, against pro-Western former interim prime minister Andrej Gjurow. Projections showed Yotova winning by a clear margin, with estimates ranging from 51 percent to between 57.4 and 58.2 percent, while Gjurow conceded. The runoff followed a first round in which Yotova took about 34.8 percent and Gjurow about 32 percent on historically low turnout. The vote was widely framed as a choice over Bulgaria's foreign policy course toward Russia and Ukraine, and was overshadowed by Black Sea drone attacks on commercial ships.
IllustrationEditorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Reports are grouped by semantic similarity and deterministic rules. Language models may assist titles, summaries, translation and cross-source analysis; the page reads the event directly, while its address stays stable when the title changes.
- Summary covers the current reports
Cross-source coverage
Reporting timeline
Russia-friendly incumbent Jotowa wins Bulgaria presidential runoff by wide margin
Bulgaria's Russia-friendly incumbent President Ilijana Jotowa won the presidential runoff on Sunday by a clear margin, defeating pro-Western challenger Andrej Gjurow, according to forecasts. Jotowa, who opposes military aid to Ukraine and advocates dialogue with Moscow, was projected to take between 57.4 and 58.2 percent of the vote, with Gjurow at 38.6 to 39.6 percent; he conceded on election night. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Jotowa. The runoff was widely seen as a decision on Bulgaria's foreign policy course, particularly regarding the Ukraine war and relations with Moscow. Jotowa campaigned as a "president of peace." The vote was overshadowed by drone attacks on commercial ships in the Black Sea in recent weeks; Gjurow had criticized Jotowa for not explicitly blaming Russia. Turnout rose modestly from a historic low in the first round. The Bulgarian presidency is largely ceremonial but includes veto power and command of the armed forces.
Read sourceExit Polls Suggest Yotova Wins Bulgaria Presidential Runoff, Becoming First Elected Female President
Exit polls indicate that incumbent Rumen Radeva's running mate Iliana Yotova has won Bulgaria's presidential runoff, according to reports from AP News, Reuters, and Bloomberg. If confirmed, Yotova would become Bulgaria's first elected female president. The runoff followed a tight first round of voting. The election was held amid regional security concerns, including reported Black Sea drone attacks that cast a shadow over the vote. Official results have not yet been confirmed in the source material, and the outcome is based on exit poll projections.
Russia-friendly incumbent Jotova leads Bulgaria presidential runoff, projections say
According to exit-poll projections by the Bulgarian polling institute Myara, incumbent President Ilijana Jotova, candidate of the ruling center-left party Progressive Bulgaria, is expected to win the presidential runoff in Bulgaria with 51 percent of the vote. Her pro-Western challenger Andrej Gjurow, a former interim prime minister backed by the liberal-conservative opposition, trails at nearly 45 percent. Turnout was only 29 percent, though higher than in the first round a week earlier. The election has been overshadowed by the war in Ukraine nearby; Jotova campaigned for a negotiated peace solution with Russia and called herself a "president of peace," while Gjurow advocated closer alignment with Western partners and stronger support for Ukraine. Drone attacks on commercial ships in the Black Sea economic zones of Bulgaria and neighboring Romania have increased in recent weeks.
Read sourceShow 3 older updatesHide older updates
Bulgaria Presidential Runoff Pits Pro-Western Challenger Against Incumbent Jotowa
Bulgaria held a decisive presidential runoff on Sunday between incumbent Ilijana Jotowa, a former MEP backed by the ruling center-left Progressive Bulgaria party and the Socialists, and pro-Western former interim prime minister Andrej Gjurow, a 50-year-old economist supported by the reform-minded liberal-conservative opposition. The runoff was necessary because no candidate won an absolute majority in the first round, where Jotowa took 34.76 percent and Gjurow 31.95 percent. The Ukraine war has shaped the campaign: Jotowa advocates a negotiated peace with Russia, while Gjurow is expected to align more closely with Western partners and support Ukraine more strongly. The vote is seen as a test for the half-year-old center-left government, with rising living costs and fuel prices worrying voters in one of the EU's poorest countries. About 6.5 million eligible voters can cast ballots until 8 p.m. local time, with official results unlikely on election night.
Bulgaria presidential election: incumbent Yotova wins first round by narrower margin than expected
Bulgaria's incumbent President Iliana Yotova, backed by former president and current Prime Minister Rumen Radev and his Progressive Bulgaria party, won the first round of the presidential election with 34.8 percent of the vote after 99.9 percent of ballots were counted, according to taz. Former interim prime minister Andrey Gyurov, candidate of the pro-European opposition, finished second with 32 percent and will face Yotova in a runoff on November 1. Kostadin Kostadinov of the nationalist Vazrazhdane party took 12.5 percent. Turnout fell to a historic low of 22.5 percent, down from 38.6 percent in 2021. Polls had predicted a larger lead for Yotova, who advocates dialogue with Moscow and opposes military support for Ukraine; Gyurov backs Ukraine and called for an honest televised debate. The runoff outcome is uncertain, as it is unclear whether Kostadinov's voters or GERB supporters will turn out and whom they would back.
Bulgaria Presidential Race Heads to Runoff Between Yotova and Gurov
Bulgaria's presidential election will be decided in a runoff next Sunday after no candidate won an absolute majority in the first round, according to a projection by the polling institute Myara. Incumbent President Ilijana Yotova led with 35 percent, while pro-Western former interim prime minister Andrey Gurov came second with a surprisingly close 31.9 percent. Turnout was only 22.2 percent, far below the required threshold. Gurov called for an open, honest and civilized debate with Yotova, which did not occur before the first round. The runoff carries an important foreign policy dimension given the war in Ukraine nearby, with voters deciding whether Bulgaria aligns more firmly with the West, as Gurov favors, or continues the more reserved line of Prime Minister Rumen Radev, whom Yotova served as deputy. Bulgaria's president has relatively limited powers, including a legislative veto and command of the armed forces.
Read source