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Politics

Initial Results Put Iliana Yotova Ahead in Bulgaria’s Presidential Runoff as Gyurov Concedes

Acting President Iliana Yotova leads Bulgaria's presidential runoff in initial results reported by polling agencies, and former interim Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov has conceded defeat. Official results are not expected before Monday.

By admin Nov. 1, 2026 · 8:44 PM ET 2 min read

A neoclassical parliament building with tall columns in Sofia, with people walking across the plaza in front on an autumn day

SOFIA, Bulgaria — Acting President Iliana Yotova is the apparent winner of Bulgaria’s presidential runoff, initial results of the vote count on Sunday showed, and former interim Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov conceded defeat, according to The Associated Press.

A hand placing a plain white ballot envelope into a dark ballot box inside a polling station

According to the count by several polling agencies, Yotova received 58 percent of the vote, with Gyurov at about 38 percent. Earlier exit polls had pointed the same way, giving Yotova about 51 to 53 percent against 43 to 44 percent for Gyurov. Official results were not expected before Monday.

Gyurov, who was backed by reformist pro-Western opposition parties, conceded after the initial results appeared. “This is how the Bulgarian citizens have voted,” he said, adding that the results had to be accepted as they stood.

A first elected mandate for Yotova

People seen from behind standing in line outside a stone polling station building on an overcast day

Yotova, 62, took over the presidency in January, when Prime Minister Rumen Radev stepped down to run for parliament, and she was seeking her own elected mandate. If the initial results are confirmed, she would become Bulgaria’s first elected female head of state.

The vote was the first major test for Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria party, which endorsed Yotova. The party won 131 of the 240 seats in Parliament in April’s parliamentary vote, giving it an outright majority. The Associated Press describes the party as Moscow-friendly.

After casting her vote on Sunday, Yotova said she voted for a Bulgaria that makes its own decisions and keeps a strong voice on the international stage. “I voted for national consensus through dialogue, for institutions that work for citizens, for a strong state with its own foreign policy in a strong Europe,” she told reporters.

What the presidency can and cannot do

A white, green and red Bulgarian flag waving above a city street with trams and pedestrians below

Bulgaria’s presidency is largely ceremonial, but it carries real powers: the president leads the armed forces, can veto legislation, signs international treaties and appoints ambassadors. Presidents serve five-year terms and can serve no more than two terms.

Both Yotova and Radev have called for a diplomatic solution to end the war in Ukraine, while remaining evasive about possible Russian involvement in drone attacks in the Black Sea region, according to the AP. During a television debate, Yotova said peace could come only through negotiations and proposed a security meeting of all six Black Sea countries to sign a moratorium on hostilities.

The runoff followed first-round voting in which no candidate won a majority. Bulgaria joined NATO in 2004 and the European Union in 2007.

Reporting based on coverage by The Associated Press.

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