Presidential elections are taking place in Bulgaria on 25 October. Among the main issues of the campaign are Russia’s war against Ukraine, security in the Black Sea and economic difficulties.
According to exit polls, acting President Iliana Yotova, who advocates a diplomatic resolution to the war and dialogue with Moscow, is in the lead.
There are 27 candidates standing in the election. According to a poll by Alpha Research, around 41 per cent of voters are prepared to support Yotova. Her main rival, former acting Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov, is polling at around 28 per cent.
Yotova assumed the post of head of state in January 2026 after Rumen Radev stepped down as president to stand in the parliamentary elections. She is now standing for a full presidential term with the support of Radev’s party.
Yotova advocates a diplomatic end to Russia’s war against Ukraine and an improvement in relations with Moscow. This position is shared by Radev, who also calls for negotiations.
Yotova’s main rival, Andrey Gyurov, represents pro-Western political forces. He supports Ukraine and advocates strengthening Bulgaria’s cooperation with the European Union and NATO. Whilst serving as acting prime minister, Gyurov signed a security cooperation agreement with Kyiv.
Third place in the polls is held by Kostadin Kostadinov, leader of the pro-Russian nationalist party ‘Revival’: around 10–13 per cent of respondents are prepared to support him.
One of the key campaign issues has been the recent drone attacks on merchant ships off the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. These have heightened fears that the consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine could affect the security of the entire region. The Bulgarian authorities have asked their allies to help strengthen the protection of maritime shipping.
Voters are also concerned about inflation, rising energy prices and the deteriorating economic situation.
Under Bulgarian law, to win in the first round, a candidate must secure more than 50 per cent of the vote, with turnout exceeding half of registered voters. Opinion polls do not suggest that these conditions will be met, so a second round is likely to take place on 1 November.
A victory for Yotova would signal a continuation of the policy of dialogue with Moscow. A victory for Gyurov, by contrast, would strengthen the position of political forces advocating more active support for Ukraine and close cooperation with Western partners.