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Bulgaria elects its president / Iliana Iotova and Andrey Gyurov face each other in the runoff

Raluca Ioana Draghici

1 November 2026, 06:12

International

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Bulgarians vote on Sunday, in the second round of the presidential election, to choose between Iliana Iotova, backed by former President Rumen Radev, and the pro-Western reformist Andrey Gyurov. The vote is taking place against the backdrop of tensions in the Black Sea and drone attacks on commercial vessels, incidents that have heightened fears over the spread of the war in Ukraine.

In the first round, Iotova won 34.76% of the vote, while Gyurov received 31.95%, with the difference amounting to fewer than 43,000 votes. Voter turnout was only 22.98%. Twenty-seven candidates entered the race, but none met the conditions for a first-round victory.

The election has taken on added significance after several drone attacks on vessels offshore from the Bulgarian coast. A cargo ship hit on Wednesday subsequently sank, but all 18 crew members were rescued. Bulgaria did not directly accuse Russia, while Moscow denied any involvement.

Iotova and Radev support a diplomatic solution in Ukraine and better relations with Russia. Gyurov, backed by pro-Western reformist parties, supports Ukraine and, during his time as interim prime minister, signed a ten-year cooperation agreement with Kyiv.

The president's office is largely ceremonial, and an Iotova victory would make her the first woman elected president of Bulgaria.

Context: drone attacks in the Black Sea preceded the second round and inflamed the political debate in Bulgaria

Before the second round, Bulgaria was involved in several incidents related to drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea: the CHELSEA 3, flying the Maltese flag, was hit east of the Bulgarian coast, while a second vessel, HS Dignity, sank near Krapets. Prime Minister Rumen Radev subsequently spoke with Russia’s ambassador, Eleonora Mitrofanova, and the authorities announced that they were investigating the attacks together with EU and NATO allies and that they would initiate consultations with Romania and Turkey to enhance navigational safety.

The dispute was compounded by political reactions: Radev stated that the incidents’ effects served Russia’s interests, Moscow denied any involvement, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attacks, describing them as “a new front of escalation” in Russia’s war in Ukraine.