Bulgaria has elected a woman as head of state for the first time. Iliana Iotova, who has served as acting president since January, won Sunday’s presidential runoff with about 57.6% of the vote, according to official results published on Monday, November 2.
Her rival, former caretaker prime minister Andrey Gyurov, took about 39.5%. The result is a clear win for Iotova and a political boost for Prime Minister Rumen Radev, who backed her for the largely ceremonial post.
Here is what happened and why it matters, based on reporting from Reuters, Radio Bulgaria and Euronews.
The final numbers
With 100% of polling station protocols processed, Bulgaria’s Central Election Commission reported that the ticket of Iliana Iotova and her running mate, Kiril Valchev, received 1,093,852 votes, or 57.56% of the total.
The ticket of Andrey Gyurov and Georgi Kandev received 750,251 votes, or 39.48%. Another 2.95%, or 56,080 voters, chose the ballot option “I do not support any of the candidates.”
Iotova won in 28 of the country’s electoral districts. Gyurov came first in three: Sofia’s 23rd and 24th districts and Kardzhali. He also won the vote among Bulgarians abroad, taking about 56% of ballots cast outside the country, according to Radio Bulgaria.
Turnout was low, at roughly 27%.
Radio Bulgaria described Iotova as the country’s seventh president and the first woman elected to the post. Gyurov said he accepted the result, calling it surprising.
Who is Iliana Iotova?
Iotova, 61, is a former member of the European Parliament. She served as vice president alongside Rumen Radev and became acting president in January, when Radev resigned to run in a parliamentary race. He won that race and is now prime minister.
Reuters noted that many political analysts considered Radev’s parliamentary ticket Kremlin-friendly. Both Radev and Iotova have called for a diplomatic end to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
After the result, Iotova said people believe that dialogue can lead to good decisions, according to Radio Bulgaria.
Who was the challenger?
Andrey Gyurov, 50, served as Bulgaria’s caretaker prime minister earlier this year. During the campaign he won the support of pro-Western, reformist parties, and he has long expressed support for Ukraine. Reuters reported that he signed a security cooperation agreement with Kyiv while he was premier.
That contrast made the runoff a choice between two different views of how Bulgaria, a member of both NATO and the European Union, should approach Russia and the war next door.
A vote held under a shadow
The election took place against the backdrop of a series of drone attacks over the past month on merchant ships off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast. Reuters reported that the attacks have killed at least 24 seafarers, drawn international condemnation and raised concerns about the growing reach of the war in Ukraine.
Both candidates condemned the attacks. Prime Minister Radev said the outcome of the strikes “benefits the Russian Federation,” according to Reuters.
How much power does the president have?
In Bulgaria, parliament holds most decision-making power, and the presidency is largely ceremonial. Even so, the president is the head of state, represents the country abroad and plays a role in forming governments and in national security matters.
That is why the result is being read as a political signal. With an ally of the prime minister now elected to the top job in her own right, Radev’s camp holds both the government and the presidency.
What to watch next
- How Iotova uses the office now that she has her own mandate rather than an acting role.
- Whether the government and presidency take a more unified line on Russia, Ukraine and Black Sea security.
- The reaction from Brussels and NATO partners to a president who favours a diplomatic end to the war.
- Whether the low turnout becomes a talking point for opposition parties.
The bottom line
Bulgaria made history on Sunday by electing its first female president. Iliana Iotova’s comfortable win strengthens Prime Minister Rumen Radev’s position at a tense moment, with drone attacks off the coast keeping the war in Ukraine close to home for one of the EU’s eastern members.
Image: Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Façade from Northeast by Julian Lupyan via Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain Mark 1.0
