Bulgarian president wins runoff vote as Black Sea attacks raise stakes
The country remains divided over its ties with Moscow, particularly after suspected spillover from the Russia-Ukraine war left 21 people missing in the Black Sea.
Bulgaria's President Iliana Iotova secured a decisive victory in the presidential runoff, garnering between 57.4% and 58.2% of the vote. The race pitted Iotova, who advocates dialogue with Moscow and opposes military aid to Ukraine, against Andrey Gyurov, a banker and former caretaker prime minister backed by the pro-Western opposition.
Gyurov garnered between 38.6% and 39.6%. Flanked by Prime Minister Rumen Radev, Iotova declared victory, emphasizing her focus on incomes, peace, and the future challenges. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Iotova. The election took place amid concerns over Black Sea drone attacks that have raised security questions, with 21 people missing in October.
While Prime Minister Radev suspected the attacks served Russian interests and summoned the Russian ambassador, his government maintains no direct link. The Bulgarian people, for the first time since 2021, elected the first woman president, a milestone following Iotova's earlier vice-presidency with Radev.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
