Iliana Iotova has triumphed in Bulgaria’s presidential runoff, unseating the pro-western contender, Andrey Gyurov. (Pic Credit: Reuters)
In a message on X, she said she looked forward to continuing cooperation with Bulgaria on issues ranging from security and defence to competitiveness and energy independence. European commission president Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Iotova on her win. Bulgaria’s president Iliana Iotova, who supports diplomatic engagement with Moscow and opposes military assistance to Ukraine, has won the presidential runoff held on Sunday, securing a decisive lead over her pro-western rival Andrey Gyurov.
Black Sea tensions dominate election backdrop
A former journalist and European parliament member, she was elected vice-president alongside Radev in 2016 and 2021.
his government maintains that there is currently no evidence directly connecting Russia to the incidents Although Radev has said the attacks appeared to benefit Russian interests and summoned Moscow’s ambassador. Sociologist Boryana Dimitrova of the Alpha research institute said concerns about war had played a significant role in the campaign, adding that Iotova had presented herself as the “president of peace”. She supports Bulgaria’s membership of the European union and NATO but maintains that a resolution to the Ukraine conflict can be achieved only through negotiations. She also described the election as crucial for Radev and his allies in maintaining political stability.
Iotova secured between 57.4% and 58.2% of the votes, comfortably ahead of Gyurov, who received between 38.6% and 39.6%, according to estimates released by several polling agencies. The largely ceremonial presidential contest saw Iotova, an ally of prime minister Rumen Radev, face Gyurov, a banker and former caretaker prime minister backed by the pro-Western opposition.