Bulgarians went to the polls on Sunday, November 1, to elect their head of state. Interim President Iliana Iotova won 57.6% of the vote, compared with 39.4% for her pro-European opponent, Andrei Guiourov, according to provisional results released Monday after 99.95% of polling-station records had been counted.
At 62, Iotova becomes the first woman elected president of Bulgaria. A former journalist and prominent figure in the Bulgarian Socialist Party, she will lead the European Union member state, which has a population of 6.4 million.
The war in Ukraine was a central issue in her campaign. Iotova repeatedly described herself as a “President of Peace,” supporting dialogue with Moscow and taking a more cautious position on military assistance to Kyiv. During the week between the two rounds, she said she hoped Russia could eventually play “an important role in the architecture of European security.”
Her stance appealed to some voters, including Anita Iordanova, a 37-year-old kindergarten teacher from Sofia’s Lyulin district. She said she voted for Iotova because of her clear communication and because she believed the president-elect would not involve Bulgaria in a war.
Iordanova also said she did not regard Russia as an enemy and pointed to Bulgaria’s historical relationship with Moscow. While supporting assistance to Ukraine, she opposed military aid and the involvement of Bulgarian citizens.
Sources: Le Monde International.