Europeupdated 1h ago2 min read
Bulgaria Presidential Election Heads To Runoff After Record Low Turnout
“the apparent collapse in the mobilisation of the electorate”
“driven by widespread distrust in politicians and increased voter apathy”
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
No candidate achieved majority; runoff set for 1 November between Iotova and Gyurov. Record-low turnout, under 40% in first round, well below 50% threshold.
Bulgaria heads to runoff
Bulgaria’s presidential election ended inconclusively, with incumbent President Iliana Iotova and former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov set to face each other in a runoff on November 1 after no candidate passed the required threshold.
Incumbent President Iliana Iotova received between 35 and 36.5 percent of votes and former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov received between 31 and 33.5 percent of votes, while the NATO and European Union member state saw 27 presidential candidates run.
Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. and closed at 8 p.m. (0500-1800 GMT).
Voter turnout was less than 40%, far short of the 50% required, and the presidency is largely ceremonial but the head of state can appoint interim governments during political crises, is commander-in-chief of the armed forces and is able to veto legislation.
Two directions, Ukraine backdrop
The campaign was dominated by drone strikes on ships off Bulgaria’s coast, and the attacks were condemned by both candidates. Andrey Gyurov said on Sunday that he wanted "a Bulgaria that looks forward, a country that is European, free, and proud".
The campaign focused on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and an increase in drone attacks on commercial vessels off Bulgaria's coast in the Black Sea, alongside rising energy prices and inflation. Exit polls showed Bulgaria's current President Iliana Yotova to be narrowly ahead in the first round of the country's presidential elections on Sunday, with between 35% and 36.5% of the vote, and it said Andrey Gyurov was between 32.2% and 32.5%, and it said Yotova opposes military aid to Kyiv while Gyurov is backed by pro-Western opposition parties.
Low turnout and political stakes
The runoff on 1 November puts Rumen Radev’s power to the test after incumbent President Iliana Iotova and challenger Andrey Gyurov emerged as the two leading candidates in Sunday’s first round. Sociologist Boryana Dimitrova of Alpha Research estimated support for Iotova at around 500,000 votes compared with approximately 1.4 million votes won by Progressive Bulgaria in the parliamentary elections in April.
Petar Vitanov, chairman of the parliamentary group of Progressive Bulgaria, said, "we failed to mobilise people." The same EUalive account said the first reaction from Progressive Bulgaria acknowledged the campaign had failed to mobilise enough voters, while it framed the result as giving Gyurov a realistic opportunity to win the presidency and challenge the governing camp’s political dominance.