Exit polls showed Bulgaria’s current President Iliana Yotova to be narrowly ahead in the first round of the country’s presidential elections on Sunday, with between 35% and 36.5% of the vote.
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She is now set to face Andrey Gyurov, a banker and former caretaker prime minister, in a 1 November runoff, after he came in second with between 32.2% and 32.5%.
In the weeks leading up to the election, Yotova was expected to win between 41% and 47% of the vote, while Gyurov was polling between 28% and 31%.
Preliminary results are now expected to be published on Monday.
The election campaign has mostly revolved around growing concerns over the economy and drone attacks on ships in the Black Sea.
It is seen as the first major test of Prime Minister Rumen Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria party since it came out on top in parliamentary elections last April.
President Iliana Yotova is backed by Radev’s party and favours dialogue with Moscow while opposing military aid to Ukraine, and former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov is backed by pro-Western opposition parties.
The campaign has focused heavily on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the widening hostilities in the Black Sea, where recent drone attacks on commercial vessels off Bulgaria’s coast have heightened security concerns in the European Union and NATO member country.
The strikes have raised concerns over Russia’s intentions to escalate the conflict, while also compelling the government to ask Bulgaria’s partners for assistance to strengthen its maritime security.
Candidates have also looked to respond to public anxiety over rising energy prices and inflation, as many families, particularly in rural areas, struggle to make ends meet.
Two main candidates among record total of 27
Main frontrunner Yotova took over this year as president of Bulgaria when Rumen Radev stepped down to run in parliamentary elections, eventually becoming prime minister.
If successful, she would become the first woman ever elected president in Bulgaria’s history. A win for Yotova would be a boost for Radev, who has also called for dialogue with Moscow.
A former journalist and member of the European Parliament, Yotova was elected vice-president alongside Radev in 2016 and 2021.
Her main challenger is economist Andrey Gyurov, a former deputy governor of the central bank and caretaker prime minister in the first few months of 2026. He is supported by the pro-Western reformist opposition.
Gyurov has often expressed firm support for Ukraine, and signed a security cooperation agreement with Kyiv during his premiership.
Additional sources • AFP, AP
