Iliana Iotova has been elected president of Bulgaria, securing 57.6% of the vote in Sunday’s presidential runoff, compared with 39.5% for former caretaker prime minister Andrey Gyurov, according to official results announced today.
The victory of the 61-year-old former MEP marks a political success for Prime Minister and former President Rumen Radev, who backed her candidacy. Iotova had taken over as interim president in January after Radev resigned to contest the parliamentary elections, which he subsequently won.
The election took place amid tensions in the Black Sea following drone attacks on commercial vessels that killed 24 sailors.
Radev and Iotova favour a “diplomatic settlement” to the war in Ukraine, while Gyurov, backed by pro-Western and reformist groups, has expressed support for Kyiv, according to Reuters. The election took place amid rising tensions in the Black Sea, where recent drone attacks on commercial vessels have killed 24 sailors.
Despite the political significance of the result, Bulgaria’s president has limited executive powers, with authority resting primarily with the government and parliament.
Source: Reuters
