Sofia: Bulgaria will hold a presidential runoff on November 1, 2026, after the first round failed to produce an outright winner.
Incumbent President Iliana Iotova leads former caretaker prime minister Andrey Gyurov in a closely contested race marked by low voter participation and growing Black Sea security concerns.
With 95 percent of votes counted, Iotova secured 34.6 percent, compared with 32 percent for Gyurov, according to official results. Neither candidate reached the 50 percent threshold required to win the largely ceremonial presidency in the first round of a contest involving 27 candidates.
Voter participation stood at around 22 percent of eligible voters, according to polling agencies. Iotova expressed concern over the low turnout, warning that political change would remain difficult without greater public participation in elections.
The election took place amid heightened security concerns following drone attacks on merchant ships off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast. The incidents reportedly resulted in the deaths or disappearance of around two dozen international seafarers. The Bulgarian government has sought assistance from allied countries to strengthen maritime security.
Bulgaria has stopped short of directly accusing Russia of carrying out the attacks. Prime Minister Rumen Radev stated that the outcome benefited the Russian Federation. Both presidential candidates condemned the strikes but hold different positions on the wider war in Ukraine.
Iotova became acting president in January 2026 after Radev resigned to enter parliamentary politics. Radev supports Iotova, who has called for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict. Gyurov, backed by pro-Western reformist parties, has expressed strong support for Ukraine and signed a security cooperation agreement with Kyiv while serving as caretaker prime minister.
The November 1 runoff will determine Bulgaria’s next president and could influence the country’s relations with Russia, Ukraine and Western allies. A victory would make Iotova Bulgaria’s first elected female president.
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