Similar to French and Italian media, Spanish media also have comments on the first round of the presidential vote in Bulgaria, BTA reported.
Disputed outcome of the first round of the presidential vote, writes the Spanish agency EFE. In the pre-election surveys, the difference between Iliana Yotova and Andrey Gyurov reached 17 percentage points, which is why the race for the presidency in Bulgaria will ultimately be more contested in the second round than expected, the agency adds.
The media also presents the differences between Yotova and Gyurov. Yotova is a 62-year-old former television journalist and former socialist MP, who for almost 10 years was the country's vice president under President Rumen Radev. She took over as acting president in January after Radev resigned to run in early parliamentary elections last April, which he eventually won with a large majority with his Progressive Bulgaria party. Gyurov is a 50-year-old economist and former deputy governor of the central bank. He served as caretaker prime minister this year for four months (from February to May) and has received the support of pro-European forces. The main difference between the two candidates is their position on the war in Ukraine. While Yotova insists on restoring relations with Russia, ending military aid to Ukraine and focusing on diplomacy, Gyurov defends strengthening support for Ukraine and a policy of deterrence towards Moscow by the EU and NATO.
V. „Mundo“ also outlines the differences between Yotova and Gyurov. Yotova, 62, a former television journalist and vice president of the country until January last year, advocates restoring relations with Russia, ending military aid to Ukraine and relying exclusively on diplomacy. For her part, Gyurov, a 50-year-old economist, former MP and former deputy governor of the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB), defends maintaining and strengthening support for Kiev, as well as the EU and NATO's policy of deterrence against Moscow. In his opinion, Bulgaria's withdrawal from the Coalition of the Willing in July turns the country into a weak and vulnerable ally, Mundo points out.
Within the parliamentary system, the post of president of Bulgaria has mainly representative and protocol functions. However, the head of state has significant influence in political life, as he can initially veto laws adopted by parliament, dissolve the National Assembly and assign the formation of a government. The president is also the supreme commander of the armed forces and chairs the National Security Advisory Council, the Spanish publication recalls.
The publication “Espanyol“ emphasizes the discrepancies between the forecasts of sociologists, who predicted before the first round of the elections the difference between Yotova and Gyurov up to 17 percentage points, and the results of yesterday's vote.
The Spanish broadcast of “Euronews“ commented that a record number of couples appeared in the first round of the presidential elections - 27 in total.
The publication “Demokrata“ writes that the great uncertainty now is whether Gyurov will be able to gather more support in the new meeting with Yotova at the polls on November 1. The 50-year-old presidential candidate is counting on the support of the liberal-conservative opposition, which supports the idea of a reform program. It is not yet known which option the votes received by the remaining presidential candidates who have already dropped out will be directed towards in the second round, the publication adds.