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Bulgaria Elects Russia-Friendly President Iliyana Yotova as Pro-Ukraine Candidate Loses Runoff
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Bulgaria’s acting President Iliyana Yotova won the second round of the country’s presidential election on November 1, securing 57.66% of the vote and defeating pro-Western, pro-Ukrainian candidate and former Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov.
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According to results released by Bulgaria’s Central Election Commission after 99.66% of ballots had been counted, Yotova held a commanding lead over Gyurov, who received 39.38% of the vote, as reported by European Pravda on Novemeber 2.
Yotova, an ally of incumbent Prime Minister Rumen Radev, became the first woman elected president of Bulgaria.
Following the announcement of the results, Yotova said that Gyurov had called to congratulate her on her victory.
Yotova served as Radev’s vice president for nine years until he resigned to contest April’s general election, securing a decisive victory. According to Bloomberg, her election strengthens the prime minister’s political position, as both oppose military assistance to Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.
Her opponent, 50-year-old Andrey Gyurov, previously served as Bulgaria’s caretaker prime minister and deputy governor of the Bulgarian National Bank. Unlike Yotova, Gyurov advocates closer ties with Western countries and supports Ukraine.
During his tenure as caretaker prime minister, Gyurov also signed a bilateral security agreement between Bulgaria and Ukraine, reflecting his administration’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with Kyiv.
The election comes amid heightened security concerns in the Black Sea region, following a reported naval drone attack on a commercial vessel off Bulgaria’s coast in late October.
On October 28, three naval drones struck a Liberian-flagged container ship approximately 21 miles off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, according to Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov.
Stoyanov disclosed the incident during a meeting with his Romanian and Turkish counterparts in Sofia that day, as reported by Bulgarian National Television (BNT).
The vessel, identified as CONTSHIP JET, subsequently sank off the Bulgarian coast following the apparent attack by an unmanned surface vessel believed to be of Russian origin.
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