Iliana Yotova wins runoff to become Bulgaria’s first elected female president

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Acting President Iliana Yotova won the runoff election to become Bulgaria’s first elected female head of state and said she will work for national consensus by bridging political rifts.

With all the votes counted on Monday, the Central Election Commission said Yotova secured 57.6%, while the candidate of the liberal, pro-Western opposition, Andrey Gyurov, received 39.5%.

Gyurov conceded defeat, saying that “this is how the Bulgarian citizens have voted,” and added that the results had to be accepted as they stood.

“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,” Yotova said after the vote.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Yotova and looked forward to continuing cooperation with her on security and defense, competitiveness, and energy independence. “For a strong Bulgaria in a strong Europe,” von der Leyen wrote in a post on X.

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

Observers note 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.

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.

Yotova has opposed further Bulgarian military assistance to Ukraine, repeatedly arguing that the conflict has no military solution and calling for a “coalition for peace” focused on diplomacy.

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.

Yotova’s professional career began as a TV journalist in the 1990s. Later, she entered politics and was elected to the national Parliament, and later the European Parliament, on the ticket of the Socialist party. In 2016 and 2021 she was elected as Radev’s vice president.

Yotova shared her victory with Kiril Valchev, whom she had picked as vice president. Valchev, a 53-year-old lawyer and journalist, had been at the helm of the official Bulgarian News Agency since 2021.

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 sentiment based on traditional historical and cultural ties with Russia has divided society, particularly since the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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 for a five-year term and can serve no more than two terms. Yotova is expected to be inaugurated on Jan. 22.