According to near-final results published by the Central Election Commission, her ticket with vice-presidential candidate Kiril Valchev secured 57.58% of the vote, defeating former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov and his running mate Georgi Kandev, who received 39.46% – the runoff was held on 1 November.
Iotova, who had been serving as acting president since January following the resignation of Rumen Radev, secured victory with the backing of the ruling Progressive Bulgaria political bloc. Following the announcement of the results, she said voters had expressed support for dialogue, cooperation and coordination between institutions rather than political confrontation and Gyurov congratulated her on the victory.
The election highlighted differences over Bulgaria’s foreign policy direction, particularly its relations with Russia and its position on the war in Ukraine. Iotova has advocated diplomatic negotiations to end the conflict and closer dialogue with Moscow, while Gyurov, backed by pro-Western opposition parties, has supported Ukraine and closer cooperation with Western partners. Iotova’s victory is expected to strengthen the political position of Radev, her long-time political ally and a key figure in the governing bloc.
Despite the decisive margin, voter participation remained relatively low, at approximately 29%. Around 2.95% of voters selected the option indicating that they did not support any candidate. Iotova is set to serve a five-year presidential term, with her inauguration scheduled for 22 January 2027.
