Iliana Iotova Wins Bulgaria’s Presidential Runoff

Iliana Iotova won Bulgaria’s presidential runoff on Sunday, 1 November 2026, according to exit-poll projections. Estimates put her vote share between 50.7% and 58.2%, against 38.6% to 44% for Andrey Gyurov, who conceded after preliminary results. Official results were expected by Wednesday, 4 November.

Runoff result and campaign

Iotova, 62, had served as acting president since Rumen Radev stepped down in January 2026 to contest parliamentary elections. She is set to become Bulgaria’s first elected female president. Gyurov, a banker, former caretaker prime minister and former deputy governor of the Bulgarian National Bank, was backed by the pro-Western opposition. Iotova’s campaign focused on “incomes, peace and the challenges that lie ahead”; she supports dialogue with Moscow and opposes military aid to Ukraine, while backing Bulgaria’s European Union and NATO membership.

Security concerns and turnout

The vote took place amid concern over October drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea that left 21 people missing. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Iotova and expressed interest in continued joint work. Second-round turnout was projected at 27–29%, up from 23% in the first round on 25 October.

Important Facts for Exams

• Separate ballots: The two-round system uses two separate choose-one ballots, with voters selecting a single favourite candidate in each round.
• Choice after round one: Voters can use the first-round result to decide how to vote next, unlike instant-runoff voting, where preferences are ranked on one ballot.
• Majority outcome: With only two candidates in the second round, one must receive a majority of votes counted; a plurality winner need not have one.