Exit polls suggest that Yotova wins runoff to become Bulgaria’s first elected female president

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Exit polls in Bulgaria suggest that incumbent President Iliana Yotova is the apparent winner in the country’s presidential runoff. Partial official results are expected later Sunday.

Surveys by several polling organizations give Yotova about 52% of the vote. If confirmed by official results, she would become Bulgaria’s first elected female head of state.

Former interim Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov, backed by reformist pro-Western opposition parties, is said to be trailing with around 44%.

The vote was the first major test for Prime Minister Rumen Radev’s Moscow-friendly Progressive Bulgaria party, which has endorsed Yotova. In April’s parliamentary vote, the party won 131 of the 240 seats in Parliament, securing an outright majority.

Observers say that a victory for Yotova will keep the presidency in the hands of the governing majority. Such a concentration of power could prevent the effective maintenance of checks and balances on policy decisions by institutions, they say.

Yotova, 62, took over the presidency in January, when Radev stepped down to run for parliament , and was seeking her own elected mandate. She's expected to continue Radev’s policy of keeping Bulgaria on its European path, while also supporting better relations with Russia and the lifting of sanctions.

After casting her vote on Sunday, Yotova said that she voted for a Bulgaria that makes its own decisions and maintains a strong voice on the international stage.

“I voted for national consensus through dialogue, for institutions that work for citizens, for a strong state with its own foreign policy in a strong Europe,” she told reporters.

The Balkan country joined NATO in 2004 and the European Union in 2007. While there is a broad consensus among the parties in parliament on the country’s pro-Western path, widespread pro-Russia sentiments based on traditional historical and cultural ties with Russia have divided society, particularly since the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Both Yotova and Radev have called for a diplomatic solution to end the war in Ukraine but remain evasive about possible Russian involvement in drone attacks in the Black Sea region.

During a television debate between the two presidential contenders, Yotova advocated for a settlement involving both Ukraine and Russia, saying that “peace could come only through negotiations.” She also proposed a security meeting involving all six Black Sea countries to sign a moratorium on hostilities.

Bulgaria’s presidency is primarily ceremonial. Although the head of state has no executive powers, and all major policies must be approved by parliament, direct election gives the president greater political authority. The president leads the armed forces and can veto legislation, signs international treaties and appoints ambassadors.

Presidents in Bulgaria are elected directly for a five-year term and can serve no more than two terms.