Bulgaria Elects Iliana Yotova as First Female President
Acting President Iliana Yotova wins runoff with 57.6% of the vote, becoming Bulgaria's first elected female head of state. She pledges to bridge political divides and work for national consensus.
Iliana Yotova has won Bulgaria's presidential runoff, becoming the country's first elected female head of state. With all votes counted, the Central Election Commission reported that Yotova secured 57.6% of the vote, while her opponent, Andrey Gyurov of the liberal, pro-Western opposition, received 39.5%. Gyurov conceded defeat, stating that the result must be respected as the choice of the Bulgarian people.
In her victory speech, Yotova emphasized her commitment to national consensus through dialogue, vowing to work for institutions that serve citizens and a strong state with its own foreign policy within a strong Europe. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Yotova on social media, expressing eagerness to continue cooperation on security, defense, competitiveness, and energy independence, echoing the sentiment: 'For a strong Bulgaria in a strong Europe.'
The election marked the first major test for Prime Minister Rumen Radev's Moscow-friendly Progressive Bulgaria party, which endorsed Yotova. The party had won an outright majority in April's parliamentary vote, securing 131 of 240 seats. Analysts note that Yotova's victory keeps the presidency aligned with the governing majority, raising concerns about checks and balances and the concentration of power.
Yotova, 62, has advocated for a diplomatic resolution to the war in Ukraine and has opposed further Bulgarian military assistance to Kyiv, arguing that the conflict has no military solution and calling for a 'coalition for peace' focused on diplomacy. She is expected to continue Radev's policy of maintaining Bulgaria's European path while supporting better relations with Russia and the lifting of sanctions.
Born in 1962, Yotova began her career as a TV journalist in the 1990s before entering politics. She was elected to the national Parliament and later the European Parliament on the Socialist party ticket. She served as vice president under Radev in 2016 and 2021, and took over the presidency in January when Radev stepped down to run for parliament.
