The presidential runoff in Bulgaria remains completely open, after Iliana Yotova won the first round with a minimal lead over Andrey Gyurov. The two will face each other on November 1, and the result is already being presented as an important test for the country's political direction.
On October 25, 27 presidential candidate pairs participated, but Yotova and Gyurov reached the second round. With 100% of the protocols processed, Yotova received 34.75% of the votes, and Gyurov - 31.95%. Kostadin Kostadinov is third with 12.5%.
Even on election night, exit polls showed a small difference between the first two candidates. According to “Measure“ the pair Iliyana Yotova – Kiril Valchev received 35.6%, and Andrey Gyurov – Georgi Kandev – 32.5%. Voter turnout was around 22.2–22.3%.
Low turnout changed the calculations
„Ukrainskaya Pravda“ defines the result as a surprising turnout. According to the publication's analysis, Iliyana Yotova entered the campaign as a favorite, but received weaker support than expected. At the same time, the low turnout limited the gap between her and Gyurov, who represents the pro-European and pro-Ukrainian opposition according to the publication.
The publication presents the elections not only as a competition between two candidates, but also as a vote on the direction of governance of the country. In this context, the relations with the European Union and NATO, the policy towards Russia and Bulgaria's position on the war in Ukraine are mentioned.
Among the main political factors in the analysis is the third result - that of Kostadin Kostadinov and Petar Volgin. According to “Ukrainskaya Pravda“ some of the votes cast for other candidates with similar positions on international issues may prove decisive in the run-off.
Gyurov has an advantage abroad
Andrey Gyurov convincingly wins the vote abroad - approximately 46% against about 23% for Iliyana Yotova, according to data cited by “Deutsche Welle“. Gyurov leads in all three metropolitan electoral districts, as well as in Plovdiv. Yotova has stronger support among older voters, while Gyurov is preferred among younger age groups.
The campaign for the second round is already developing around the opposition between the two political models. Prime Minister Rumen Radev said: “On Sunday we will choose between peace and war“. Gyurov, for his part, has been associated with a tougher stance on Russian policy and closer coordination with Western partners.
The runoff will be held on November 1. The winner will be the candidate who receives the most votes in the second round, after no pair gathered the necessary majority in the first.
Sources: news.bg, bnrnews.bg, amp.dw.com