Bulgarians head to the polls for presidential election amid regional security concerns

Bulgarians are voting in presidential elections on Sunday, October 25, 2026, as the war in Ukraine impacts the Black Sea coast.

Leading Candidates

Polls show acting President Iliana Iotova, 61, and former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov, 50, leading a field of 27 candidates. Alpha Research polls place Ms. Iotova at 41 percent of the vote and Mr. Gyurov at 28 percent. If no candidate wins a majority, a runoff vote will take place on November 1. Voting opens at 7 a.m. and closes at 8 p.m.

Key Issues

While the presidency is mostly ceremonial, the election follows recent drone attacks on merchant ships off the Black Sea coast that likely killed about two dozen international seafarers. The strikes led the government to seek allied help to improve maritime security. Bulgaria has not directly blamed Russia for the attacks, but Prime Minister Rumen Radev stated that their outcome benefits the Russian Federation. Both leading candidates condemned the strikes, but they disagree on the wider war. Mr. Gyurov, backed by pro-Western reformist parties, supports Ukraine and signed a security cooperation agreement with Kyiv during his time as premier. Ms. Iotova, who became acting president in January after Mr. Radev resigned to enter the parliamentary race, calls for a diplomatic end to the war with support from Mr. Radev. A victory for Ms. Iotova would make her Bulgaria's first elected female President.

Context

Presidential elections in parliamentary republics like Bulgaria usually focus on national leadership style and foreign policy stance rather than day-to-day governance. The country's strategic position on the Black Sea makes maritime security and ties with both NATO and European partners central topics in national politics.