Published Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, at 10:41 p.m. ET (Nov. 2 at 03:41 UTC). Parallel vote counts put Bulgarian presidential candidate Iliana Yotova ahead of challenger Andrey Gyurov in the runoff, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated her and said she looks forward to continued cooperation.
Yotova’s projected vote share ranged from 56.6% to 58.2%, compared with 38.6% to 40.6% for Gyurov, Anadolu Ajansı reported, citing five polling agencies.
In a post on X, von der Leyen congratulated Yotova and said she looks forward to continued cooperation on security, defense, competitiveness and energy independence. Von der Leyen closed the post with: “For a strong Bulgaria in a strong Europe.”
Anadolu Ajansı said Yotova’s campaign opposed additional arms support for Ukraine and called for a diplomatic solution, while the outlet described Gyurov as pro-Western.
Bulgaria’s Central Election Commission (CEC) said the Oct. 25 first-round count gave Yotova’s ticket 528,951 votes and Gyurov’s ticket 486,232. EconoTimes previously reported the first-round results.
Anadolu Ajansı reported that Progressive Bulgaria, led by former President Rumen Radev, secured a majority in April with 131 seats in the 240-member National Assembly.
