Bulgarians vote on Sunday 1 November in a presidential runoff, after the first round ended inconclusively on a record low turnout, pitting two contrasting visions of the country's future against each other.

Acting President Iliana Iotova, a 62-year-old journalist and former member of the European Parliament, led the first round with 34.6% of the vote, narrowly ahead of former caretaker prime minister Andrey Gyurov on 32%, with 95% of votes counted, according to election reporting. Turnout stood at just 22%, a record low attributed by observers to mistrust of politicians and voter apathy.

Who the candidates are

Iotova took over the presidency in January 2026, when Rumen Radev stepped down to run for parliament, and is now seeking her own mandate. She is backed by Radev's Moscow-friendly Progressive Bulgaria party, which triumphed in parliamentary elections in April. Gyurov, an economist and former deputy governor of the central bank, led the country as caretaker prime minister in the early months of 2026 and is backed by the pro-Western reformist opposition.

The campaign has focused heavily on Russia's invasion of Ukraine and widening hostilities in the Black Sea, where recent drone attacks on commercial vessels off Bulgaria's coast have heightened security concerns in the European Union and NATO member country. The vote is the first major test for Radev's party since its April triumph.

What is at stake

Despite a record number of candidates, 27 in total, the first round was expected to head to a runoff, as none was expected to win outright. The presidency in Bulgaria is directly elected and carries significant powers over foreign policy and the armed forces, as well as a veto over legislation. The result will signal whether voters back Iotova's continuity with Radev's direction or Gyurov's pro-Western reformist platform, in a country where economic hardship has deepened disillusionment with politics.