Iliana Iotova wins Bulgaria's presidential runoff as Andrey Gyurov concedes defeat

Incumbent President Iliana Iotova is winning the second round of Bulgaria's presidential election held on November 1.

According to preliminary data from the Central Election Commission, with more than 98% of protocols processed, Iotova has received 57.64% of the vote. Her rival, former Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov, who signed a security agreement with Ukraine, received 39.40% and has already conceded defeat.

Iliana Iotova served as Bulgaria's vice president from 2017 to 2026. She became president in 2026 after Rumen Radev resigned to lead his party in the parliamentary elections. Iotova ran as an independent candidate, officially backed by the Progressive Bulgaria party and the Socialist Party, where she began her political career. She will be the first elected female president in Bulgaria's history.

Iotova has said she will continue Radev's policy of keeping Bulgaria on its European path, while also calling for improved relations with Russia and the lifting of sanctions. Both Iotova and Radev support a diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine.

Economist Andrey Gyurov is a former deputy governor of the Bulgarian National Bank. He led the country as caretaker prime minister in early 2026 and, in that post, signed a security cooperation agreement with Kyiv. He was backed by the pro-Western reformist opposition, including the We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria bloc. Gyurov has said he wants Bulgaria to be a reliable NATO ally.

In the first round, held on October 25, Iotova received 34.8% and Gyurov 32%. Voter turnout in the first round was about 22%; under Bulgarian law, a first-round victory requires turnout above 50%.

The election was the first major test for the Progressive Bulgaria party, which won the parliamentary elections in April and is led by Prime Minister Rumen Radev. Radev had described the runoff as "a choice between peace and war."