Iliyana Yotova and Andrey Gyurov enter the final phase of the presidential campaign with a difference of 42,719 votes between the two presidential candidate pairs. In the first round on October 25, Yotova and Kiril Valchev received 528,951 votes, or 34.76%, and Andrey Gyurov and Georgi Kandev - 486,232 votes, or 31.95%. The runoff is scheduled for November 1.
The vote is being held with a voter turnout of about 23%, which places additional emphasis on voter mobilization and on the votes of candidates who did not reach the second round. The campaign ends on October 30, and October 31 is a day for reflection.
The debate left mixed reviews
The televised debate between Yotova and Gyurov caused mixed reactions. Journalist Silvia Velikova pointed out that the main shortcoming was the lack of sufficient discussion about how the two candidates intend to use the powers of the presidential institution.
Instead, a significant part of the conversation turned into arguments about the war in Ukraine, relations with Russia, inflation and economic measures. According to Velikova, personal attacks began from the very beginning and replaced specific answers about the future role of the head of state.
In her assessment, Iliyana Yotova demonstrated confidence and political experience, while Andrei Gyurov seemed more unsure at times and did not make full use of the time given to him. Velikova does not expect the debate to lead to a significant change in voter turnout, as she believes it has rather reinforced existing attitudes.
Former MEP and VMRO member Angel Dzambazki assessed the debate more positively. He described the very fact that the two candidates had a public confrontation as good news and called it “surprisingly civilized“ against the backdrop of the usual political tone in Bulgaria.
According to Dzambazki, the behavior of the candidates was expected - Yotova demonstrated political experience and tried to dominate the conversation, while Gyurov behaved more restrainedly, but showed less experience in this format. He did not name a clear winner, noting that the assessment also depends on the political beliefs of the viewers.
Votes outside the two camps may be decisive
Dzambazki emphasized how Yotova and Gyurov will seek support outside their traditional electorates. Among the key groups, he named the voters of GERB and “Vazrazhdane“, who may prove important for the final result.
In the first round, the third position was taken by the “Vazrazhdane“ pair Kostadin Kostadinov – Petar Volgin with 12.5% of the votes. They were followed by the MECH candidates, “Velichye“ and the independent pair Ivan Hristanov – Stoyanka Cherkezova. The number of these votes, as well as the decision of those who did not vote in the first round, will determine whether Yotova's lead will be maintained or overcome.
The last day of the campaign remains until the vote. The two candidates must convince voters not only with their assessments of current political issues, but also with a concrete answer on how they will exercise presidential powers.
Sources: novini.bg, bntnews.bg, bgnes.bg