Iotova and Gyurov lead Bulgaria presidential vote

Bulgarian voters head to the polls on Sunday in a presidential election shaped by security concerns along the country’s Black Sea coast and regional fallout from the war in Ukraine, moderndiplomacy.eu reported.

The 2026 Presidential Candidates and Current Polls

A total of 27 candidates are contesting the election, with acting President Iliana Iotova and former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov leading the race. Current polling shows Iotova holding 41% of voter support, while Gyurov stands at 28%. Voting centers operate from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time.

Iotova assumed the role of acting president following the resignation of Rumen Radev. On the campaign trail, she advocates for a diplomatic resolution to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Gyurov maintains strong backing from pro-Western political parties and supports providing direct aid to Ukraine.

Black Sea Maritime Security and Regional Tension

The election has taken on heightened urgency following recent drone attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea. Those strikes resulted in the deaths of approximately 20 international seafarers, drawing widespread international condemnation and exposing vulnerabilities in regional maritime security.

While the Bulgarian government has not directly blamed Russia for the maritime assaults, Prime Minister Rumen Radev stated that the volatile security situation benefits Russia. Both leading presidential candidates have condemned the attacks on civilian shipping while remaining divided on broader foreign policy toward the war.

Runoff Voting Scheduled for November

If neither Iotova nor Gyurov secures an outright majority of the votes cast, the election will proceed to a runoff vote on November 1.

More on this story: Serbia Votes in High-Stakes Election Challenging Vučić