The presidential elections in Bulgaria will be decided in a runoff on November 1. The pairs Iliyana Yotova – Kiril Valchev and Andrey Gyurov – Georgi Kandev reached it, after neither candidate gathered the necessary majority in the first round.
With 30.71% of the protocols processed, Yotova leads with 34.8% against 31.6% for Gyurov. Preliminary surveys after the end of election day also showed a small difference, but with different values. The data of the individual agencies put Yotova between 35% and 36.5%, and Gyurov between 31% and 32.5%. Voter turnout is around 20% according to exit polls.
International reading of the result
The Associated Press described the vote as the first major test for Prime Minister Rumen Radev's “Progressive Bulgaria“ since the party's parliamentary victory in April. According to the agency, the unexpectedly strong performance of Gyurov, supported by the pro-European opposition, outlines a clear division for Bulgaria's future relations with other countries.
Agence France-Presse, quoted by SBS News, emphasized the record low turnout and the close result. The agency described the election as a vote held against the backdrop of security concerns after a series of drone attacks on ships in the Black Sea. According to the publication, four vessels were hit off the Bulgarian coast and 21 people were reported missing.
“Deutsche Welle“ presented the first round as a test for both Rumen Radev's government and the country's foreign policy direction. At the center of international interest are Bulgaria's membership in the European Union and NATO, the attitude towards the war in Ukraine and the way Sofia reacts to the incidents in the Black Sea.
Two different messages for the runoff
Iotova, supported by “Progressive Bulgaria“ and the BSP, insists on a diplomatic solution to the war and opposes sending military aid to Ukraine. She spoke of a “coalition of peace“ and stated that Bulgaria must defend its own position, without questioning its European and NATO membership.
Gyurov, a former deputy governor of the Bulgarian National Bank and acting prime minister, is supported by pro-European opposition forces. He criticizes the more cautious stance of the ruling party towards Russia and insists that Bulgaria be a predictable NATO ally with a clear policy towards Ukraine.
„I want to tell Bulgarian citizens that it is an illusion to think that if they do not vote, they can change something in the country“, said Iliana Yotova after the first round.Rumen Radev said that the attacks on the ships appear to be in Russia's interest, but stressed that the government has no evidence of a direct Russian connection. This difference in assessments has become one of the main themes of the campaign.
The runoff will decide not only who will take the presidency for five years. The result will also show whether voters support the current line of the ruling majority or seek a more categorical adherence to European and NATO policies. If she wins, Iliana Yotova will become the first directly elected female president of Bulgaria.
Sources: apnews.com, sbs.com.au, amp.dw.com