Bulgaria's Iotova wins presidential runoff, near-final results show

Bulgaria's interim president, Iliana Yotova, has won the country's presidential runoff election, according to reports from Bulgarian National Television on November 2. Yotova, who opposes providing military aid to Ukraine and advocates for dialogue with Moscow, received 57.58% of the vote cast on November 1, with 99.95% of polling stations reporting.

Her pro-Ukraine, pro-Western opponent, former Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov, garnered 39.47% of the votes. Yotova served as acting president since January, following the resignation of her Kremlin-friendly predecessor, Rumen Radev, to win the April parliamentary election and become prime minister. Bulgaria, a NATO and EU member, experiences the effects of the Russia-Ukraine war, with alleged Russian drones attacking merchant vessels near its coast in October.

Yotova secured her victory with a significant margin, winning in an election marked by low voter turnout of around 27-29%. Her campaign focused on issues like income, peace, and future challenges. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Yotova on her win, expressing anticipation for continued collaboration on security, defense, competitiveness, and energy independence.

The results reflect a strengthening of Radev's stance against Ukraine, as Bulgaria's current leadership has been hesitant to openly blame Russia for recent drone attacks on merchant vessels near the Bulgarian coast, despite Kyiv's accusations.