Bulgarians vote for president in shadow of Russia’s war on Ukraine

Polls have opened in Bulgaria’s presidential election after a campaign that focused on growing economic hardship and drone attacks on Black Sea shipping.

Before Sunday’s vote, President Iliana Iotova, 61, and former caretaker Prime ⁠Minister Andrey Gyurov, 50, were leading a field of 27 candidates in the polls.

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⁠The presidency is a largely ceremonial post in Bulgaria. While major policies must be approved by parliament, direct election gives the president greater political authority. The president leads the armed forces and can veto legislation, sign international treaties and appoint ambassadors.

The election has also gained attention after a series of drone attacks on merchant ships off Bulgaria that likely killed about two dozen international seafarers.

The drone strikes ‌sparked international condemnation and concerns about the growing reach of Russia’s war on Ukraine, prompting Bulgaria to seek help from its allies to bolster its maritime security.

The Bulgarian government has stopped short of explicitly blaming Russia for the attacks, but Prime Minister Rumen Radev said the outcome of the strikes “benefits the Russian Federation”.

Relations with Russia, West at stake

The two leading candidates for president have both condemned the strikes, but they differ on the broader war in Ukraine.

Gyurov, who served as caretaker prime minister this year, is backed by ⁠pro-Western, reformist parties and has long expressed support for Ukraine. He ⁠signed a security cooperation agreement with Kyiv during his time as premier.

“I want Bulgaria to have a voice of its own in Europe, a reliable NATO ally that defends its interests through preparedness, strong diplomacy and ⁠a clear position,” he said at a rally on Thursday.

A rescue operation is carried out at the ship Chelsea 3 near Byala, Bulgaria, on October 13, 2026, after it was hit by drones [Handout/Bulgarian Ministry of Interior via AP]

Iotova, a former vice president, became acting president in January after Radev resigned to ⁠enter the parliamentary race, which he won on what many ⁠political analysts considered a Kremlin-friendly ticket.

Radev supports Iotova, and they both have called for a diplomatic end to the war.

“My opponents argue that there must be ‌a war of attrition,” Iotova said at a rally on Thursday. “The truth is, we are all the ones who are most exhausted.”

While there is a broad consensus among the parties in parliament on the country’s pro-Western path, widespread pro-Russian sentiments based on traditional historical and cultural ties with Russia have divided society, particularly since the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Dobromir Zhivkov, managing director of the Market Links polling agency, said Iotova is among those who advocate that Bulgaria should take a more neutral position.

“They call for an end to aid for Ukraine and a halt to arms deliveries to Ukraine. We often hear them use Kremlin rhetoric and terminology borrowed directly from Kremlin propaganda,” he told The Associated Press news agency this past week.

Run-off expected

Candidates are also addressing public fears about the steep rise in energy prices and surging inflation as many Bulgarians in rural areas struggle to make ends meet.

Polls by Alpha Research suggested Iotova would win 41 percent of the vote and ‌Gyurov ‌28 percent.

Voting started at 7am (05:00 GMT), and polls close at 8pm (18:00 GMT).

Analysts expected none of the 27 candidates to secure the outright majority needed to win in the first round, however.

Turnout must also be above 50 percent of the 6.6 million registered voters, and Sunday’s turnout is expected to be less than 40 percent, which means a likely run-off on November 1.

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