Bulgarian president and presidential candidate Iliana Iotova votes at a polling station during the second round of the Bulgarian presidential election on November 1, 2026 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images
Exit polls in Bulgaria suggest incumbent President Iliana Yotova is the clear winner in the country’s presidential run-off. Partial official results are expected to be announced later Sunday.
According to surveys by multiple public opinion polling organizations, Yotoba’s vote share is approximately 52%. If the official results confirm it, she will become Bulgaria’s first elected female head of state.
Former caretaker prime minister Andrei Gurov, supported by a reformist, pro-Western opposition party, is said to be leading with about 44%.
The vote was the first major test for Prime Minister Rumen Radev’s pro-Moscow Bulgarian Progress Party, which had supported Yotova. In April’s parliamentary vote, the party won 131 out of 240 seats, giving it a complete majority.
Sources believe that if Yotoba wins, the presidency will be in majority hands. Such a concentration of power can prevent agencies from effectively maintaining checks and balances on policy-making, they say.
Yotova, 62, took over as president in January, when Radev had resigned to run for parliament and sought elected office himself. He is expected to continue Radev’s policy of keeping Bulgaria on a European path, while also supporting improved relations with Russia and the lifting of sanctions.
After voting on Sunday, Yotova said she had made her own decision and voted for Bulgaria to maintain a strong voice on the international stage.
“I voted for a national consensus through dialogue, for institutions that work for the people, for a strong nation with its own foreign policy in a strong Europe,” he told reporters.
The Balkan country joined NATO in 2004 and the European Union in 2007. Although there is broad agreement among the parties in parliament about the country’s pro-Western course, widespread pro-Russian sentiment based on traditional historical and cultural ties with Russia has divided society, particularly since the beginning of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Both Yotova and Radev are calling 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.
In a televised debate between the two presidential candidates, Yotova said, “Peace can only be achieved through negotiations,” and advocated a reconciliation involving both Ukraine and Russia. She also proposed holding a security conference involving all six Black Sea countries to sign a cessation of hostilities.
The Bulgarian presidency is largely ceremonial. Although the head of state has no executive powers and parliament must approve all major policies, direct elections give the president greater political powers. The president can command the military, veto legislation, sign international treaties, and appoint ambassadors.
The Bulgarian president is directly elected for a five-year term and cannot serve more than two terms.
