Exit polls point to Yotova victory in Bulgaria presidential runoff
Iliana Yotova appeared set to win Bulgaria’s presidential runoff, with exit polls and initial vote counts putting the acting president ahead of challenger An...
Iliana Yotova appeared set to win Bulgaria’s presidential runoff, with exit polls and initial vote counts putting the acting president ahead of challenger Andrey Gyurov. The projections are not official results; the final outcome was still expected to be announced.
Several polling agencies put Yotova at 58% and Gyurov at about 38%, while other exit-poll estimates gave her 50.7% to 52.5% and her rival 43.4% to 45%. The differing projections point to a clear lead for Yotova, but official confirmation remains the next step.
A first for Bulgaria
If confirmed, Yotova would become Bulgaria’s first woman elected head of state. She is the candidate of Progressive Bulgaria, the governing centre-left party, which endorsed her.
Gyurov, a former interim prime minister backed by reformist, pro-Western opposition parties, conceded defeat. He said voters had made their choice and the result should be accepted.
The presidency is largely ceremonial, but it carries powers that can matter during political crises: the president can appoint interim governments, serve as commander-in-chief and veto legislation. Yotova’s win would keep the office with the governing majority, prompting concern among observers that concentrated power could weaken institutional checks on policy decisions.
Ukraine war shapes campaign
The conflict in Ukraine was a central campaign issue for the country on NATO’s eastern flank. Yotova opposed military aid to Ukraine and called for negotiations with Russia, presenting herself as a “president of peace.” Security concerns in the Black Sea also featured in the campaign following a rise in drone attacks targeting commercial vessels.
The runoff was a major test for Prime Minister Rumen Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria party. It won 131 of Parliament’s 240 seats in the April parliamentary vote, giving it an outright majority. Turnout in the presidential runoff was reported at 29% in one exit-poll estimate.
Official results were expected after the initial projections. Until those figures are confirmed, Yotova’s apparent victory—and the prospect of her becoming Bulgaria’s first elected female president—remains provisional.
