Bulgaria votes in presidential runoff as Iotova faces pro-Western Andrei Gyurov

The runoff

Bulgarians began voting at 07:00 local time on Sunday, 1 November, to choose between acting president Iliana Iotova and former caretaker prime minister Andrei Gyurov. A runoff was needed because no candidate reached an outright majority in the first round on 25 October, when 27 candidates stood for the post. Polling stations close at 20:00 local time, and final results are expected on Monday, 2 November, once ballots have been counted. Turnout stood at 6.1 percent at 11:00, against 5.8 percent at the same hour in the first round, according to the Electoral Commission. Rain and wind swept much of the country during the morning.

Iotova is a former journalist and ex-member of the European Parliament who has held the presidency on an acting basis since January. She took over after Rumen Radev resigned to contest the April parliamentary elections, which he won before becoming prime minister. Gyurov, 50, led the caretaker government from February to May and signed a security agreement with Ukraine during that short period. He is backed by pro-Western and reformist opposition parties, while Iotova has the support of the governing Progressive Bulgaria party and the nationalist VMRO. Both are running as independents.

Where the candidates stand

Iotova argues for dialogue with Moscow and opposes sending military aid to Ukraine, while backing Bulgaria's EU and NATO membership. She has presented herself as a candidate who can guarantee peace in the region, and her campaign slogan is 'president of peace'. Speaking after she voted at a Sofia high school, she said:

“I voted so that Bulgaria would be a strong state in a strong Europe.”

Gyurov voted in Blagoevgrad, his home town, and said he wants a 'safe, stable and European Bulgaria'. In a televised debate on 29 October, Iotova argued that a lasting peace requires talks:

“Peace can only come through negotiations.”

Gyurov replied that Russia must end its aggression before the next stages can begin. He has also accused her of not naming Moscow directly as responsible for the attacks on shipping.

Black Sea drone attacks shape the vote

Bulgarian authorities say at least six commercial ships were hit by drones in recent weeks near the coast. Other reports describe four merchant ships struck in early and mid-October, with 21 people missing and presumed dead. One October tally puts the number of missing across the Black Sea at 30, 21 of them off the Bulgarian coast. Ukraine accuses Russia of being behind the strikes, and the Kremlin has rejected any responsibility. Prime Minister Rumen Radev said the incidents appear to serve Moscow's interests, and he summoned the Russian ambassador without formally naming a culprit. Radev has also said Sofia will stop supplying weapons to Ukraine and has declined to join a NATO counter-drone initiative. Both candidates condemned the attacks, but neither the government nor Iotova has clearly labelled Russia the aggressor. Political analyst Teodor Slavev argues that Iotova lost ground because of what he called her unconvincing answers to Russian threats in the Black Sea.

What comes next

The count begins after polling stations close at 20:00, and final results are expected on Monday as ballots are processed.

If Iotova wins, she would become the first woman elected president of Bulgaria by direct vote. A win for her would also strengthen Progressive Bulgaria and Radev, whom she served under as vice president. The outcome will determine which foreign policy course Sofia follows, with Iotova favouring dialogue with Russia and Gyurov favouring a firmer line against Moscow.

Iliana Iotova34.76%

Andrei Gyurov31.95%

Kostadin Kostadinov12.54%

Iliana Iotova

34.76 %

Andrei Gyurov

31.95 %

Kostadin Kostadinov

12.54 %

Data from the article text