Bulgaria election heads to a run-off amid low voter turnout

Bulgarians will now choose between President Iliana Yotova and former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov next week.

Al JazeeraAl Jazeera Staff2026-10-25 22:57查看原文 ↗

Bulgarians will now choose between President Iliana Yotova and former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov next week.

Presidential candidate and incumbent President Iliana Iotova votes in Sofia, Bulgaria, on October 25, 2026 [Spasiyana Sergieva/Reuters]

Bulgaria’s presidential election is heading to a run-off after polls closed with low voter turnout and no candidate passing the required threshold.

Incumbent President Iliana Iotova received between 35 and 36.5 percent of votes on Sunday , according to exit polls. She will now face former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov, who scored between 31 and 33.5 percent, in a second round on November 1.

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Minister of Interior Ivan Demerdzhiev said the elections “took place peacefully, without the usual practices of vote buying and vote manipulation”, Bulgarian National Television reported.

The NATO and European Union member state saw 27 presidential candidates run in the election.

A run-off was expected, as turnout must reach more than 50 percent of registered voters, and the candidate must secure more than 50 percent of the votes to win in the first round.

Voter turnout was 22.2 percent as of 8pm local time (18:00 GMT), according to the Measure polling agency.

Rising energy costs, inflation, attacks in the Black Sea and Russia’s war in Ukraine were the major issues in the lead-up to the vote.

A series of drone strikes on ships off Bulgaria’s coast, condemned by both candidates, dominated headlines during the campaign period.

Leftist Iotova is backed by Prime Minister Rumen Radev, whose Progressive Bulgaria party enjoyed success in April’s parliamentary elections. Iotova became president in January after serving as vice president.

A former member of the European Parliament and a journalist, she ran as an independent with the backing of both Progressive Bulgaria and the Socialist Party.

Should she win, she is expected to keep Bulgaria in line with Europe, while calling for improved relations with Russia.

After casting her vote, Yotova said she wanted to address “the dire issue of poverty” in Bulgaria, as well as “inequalities and regional disputes”, the AFP news agency reported.

“I believe that there must be peace, stability, and security,” she added.

Presidential candidate Andrey Gyurov speaks during a campaign event in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, on October 21, 2026 [Valentina Petrova/AP]

Gyurov has the support of the country’s pro-Western opposition and signed a security cooperation agreement with Ukraine as prime minister.

He said on Sunday that he wanted “a Bulgaria that looks forward, a country that is European, free, and proud”.

“Next week, Bulgaria must choose between two personalities, two directions,” he said after the vote, and invited Iotova to a debate before the next round.

Although the role of president is largely ceremonial, the president leads the armed forces, can veto legislation and sign treaties.

下周，保加利亚民众将在总统伊利亚娜·约托娃和前看守总理安德烈·久罗夫之间做出选择。

总统候选人兼现任总统伊利亚娜·伊托娃 (Iliana Iotova) 于 2026 年 10 月 25 日在保加利亚索非亚投票 [Spasiyana Sergieva/Reuters]

保加利亚总统选举投票结束后，由于投票率低，没有候选人获得过半数选票，选举将进入第二轮投票。

根据出口民调，现任总统伊利亚娜·约托娃在周日的选举中获得了35%至36.5%的选票。她将在11月1日的第二轮投票中对阵前看守总理安德烈·久罗夫，后者获得了31%至33.5%的选票。

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据保加利亚国家电视台报道，内政部长伊万·德梅尔吉耶夫表示，选举“和平进行，没有出现以往的买票和操纵选票的做法”。

这个北约和欧盟成员国共有 27 位总统候选人参加了选举。

预计会进行第二轮投票，因为投票率必须达到登记选民的 50% 以上，而且候选人必须获得 50% 以上的选票才能在第一轮投票中获胜。

据民调机构 Measure 的数据显示，截至当地时间晚上 8 点（格林尼治标准时间 18:00），投票率为 22.2%。