Bulgaria’s incumbent President Iliyana Yotova won the second round of the presidential election on November 1, 2026, securing 57.57% of the vote. Her victory strengthens the political position of Prime Minister Rumen Radev, whose political party holds an absolute majority in parliament, the Experts Club information and analytical center reports.
According to Bulgaria’s Central Election Commission, after 100% of polling station protocols had been processed, Yotova and vice-presidential candidate Kiril Valchev received 1,093,852 votes, or 57.57%. Their opponents, Andrey Gyurov and Georgi Kandev, secured the support of 750,251 voters, or 39.48%. Another 56,080 citizens, representing 2.95%, selected the “I support no one” option.
In the first round on October 25, Yotova received 34.76% of the vote, compared with 31.95% for Gyurov. Kostadin Kostadinov, leader of the nationalist Revival party, finished third with approximately 12.55%. In the runoff, Yotova increased her lead over her rival to more than 18 percentage points.
Low voter turnout was a notable feature of the election. Approximately 23% of eligible voters participated in the first round, while turnout in the second round was around 29%. Therefore, although Yotova secured the support of a majority of those who voted, she received backing from a considerably smaller share of the overall electorate.
Iliyana Yotova became the first woman elected president of Bulgaria by popular vote. She had served as vice president under Rumen Radev since 2017 and assumed the presidency in January 2026 following his early resignation. During the election campaign, Yotova advocated maintaining Bulgaria’s European orientation, pursuing diplomatic dialogue with Russia and holding negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
Her opponent, Andrey Gyurov, represented a more explicitly Euro-Atlantic political approach, advocating stronger cooperation with the European Union and NATO, continued support for Ukraine and efforts to counter Russian influence.
The political significance of Yotova’s victory is closely linked to the parliamentary elections held on April 19, 2026. Rumen Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria party secured 131 of the 240 parliamentary seats, and Radev became prime minister on May 8. The presidency and the parliamentary majority are now politically aligned, potentially facilitating government decision-making.
“With turnout below 30%, a victory with more than 57% of the vote demonstrates successful mobilization of supporters, but it does not automatically mean that the majority of the entire electorate supports the political course,” said Oleksandr Poznii, sociologist, director of Active Group and an Experts Club expert.
According to Poznii, the new political configuration creates favorable conditions for implementing the government’s program but also increases the importance of transparency, parliamentary oversight and the independence of state institutions.
For Ukraine, the election results are particularly important in the context of Sofia’s future policies on sanctions against Russia, defense cooperation, energy security and Black Sea regional security. Bulgaria remains a member of both the EU and NATO, while key foreign policy and economic decisions are made by the government with parliament’s participation.
BULGARIA, EXPERTS CLUB, ILIYANA YOTOVA, PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
