Bulgaria Set to Have First Elected Female President
Bulgaria’s acting President Iliana Iotova has won the second round of the presidential election, making her set to become the country’s first directly elected female head of state. According to near-final results released on Monday (November 2), Ms. Iotova and her running mate, Kiril Valchev, secured 57.58 per cent of the vote.
According to Bulgaria’s Central Election Commission, with 99.95 per cent of polling stations counted, Ms. Iotova and Mr. Valchev received around 1.094 million votes. Their rivals, former caretaker prime minister Andrey Gyurov and his running mate Georgi Kandев, secured 39.46 per cent. Around 2.95 per cent of voters did not support any candidate.
Mr. Gyurov conceded defeat, saying that citizens had delivered their verdict and the result must be accepted. Exit polls had also put Ms. Iotova ahead before the election. However, estimates varied among polling agencies ahead of the publication of the final official results.
The 62-year-old Ms. Iotova assumed the role of acting president in January this year after former President Rumen Radev resigned to contest the parliamentary election. Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria party backed her candidacy. Her victory means the incumbent political camp will retain its position in the presidency.
Ms. Iotova has advocated maintaining Bulgaria’s membership in the European Union and its pro-European orientation while also improving relations with Russia. She has also emphasised a diplomatic solution to end the war in Ukraine rather than military assistance. In contrast, Mr. Gyurov supported Ukraine and closer ties with Western allies.
Although the presidency in Bulgaria is largely ceremonial, the office carries political significance as the president is directly elected by popular vote. As head of state, the president serves as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, can veto legislation passed by parliament and signs international treaties. The presidential term in the country is five years.
Source: Reuters
