Bulgaria elects president: the tight race that became a battle over relations with Russia

Bulgaria votes in a close second-round presidential election: incumbent Rumen Radev-backed Iliana Yotova (34.76%) faces former interim prime minister Andrey Gyurov (31.95%). The race unfolds against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and drone attacks in the Black Sea, reflecting a deep divide over relations with Russia.

Bulgarian citizens went to the polls today (Sunday) for the second round of the presidential election, in a tight race between incumbent President Iliana Yotova and former interim Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov. Yotova, 61, came first in the first round with 34.76% of the vote, compared to 31.95% for Gyurov, a gap of less than three percentage points. The central issue in the election campaign is the stance on the war in Ukraine: Yotova is associated with a more friendly line toward Moscow and opposes continued military aid to Ukraine, while Gyurov is backed by reformist and pro-Western parties. The second round is held against the backdrop of drone attacks on merchant ships off the Bulgarian coast, in which 24 seafarers are listed as possibly killed. A victory for Yotova would make her the first woman elected president of Bulgaria.