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

Iliana Yotova won the second round of Bulgaria's presidential election on November 1, preliminary results with 99.68 percent of votes counted show: Yotova has 57.6 percent and former interim prime minister Andrey Gyurov 39.3 percent. Gyurov conceded. Yotova will be the first elected female president in the country's history.

Turnout was just 27 percent, after a record low of 23 percent in the first round, in which Yotova won 34.76 percent and Gyurov 31.94 percent.

Who is Yotova

Yotova, 61, has been acting president since January 2026, when Rumen Radev resigned to run in parliamentary elections. She was backed by Radev's Progressive Bulgaria party. She favours dialogue with Russia and opposes military aid to Ukraine.