Bulgaria will vote for president as Ukraine and Black Sea drone attacks dominate campaign
Drone attacks have sharpened debate over Bulgaria’s stance on Ukraine and Russia as polls show a likely runoff between the two frontrunners.
- Bulgaria holds presidential elections on Sunday, October 25, 2026, serving as a test for President Rumen Radev's government amid security concerns following recent Black Sea drone attacks.
- Although 27 candidates are on the ballot, the race has narrowed to a duel between incumbent President Iliana Yotova, backed by the prime minister, and former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov, supported by opposition parties.
- Polls show Yotova leading Gyurov by about 12 percentage points, though analyst Boriana Dimitrova noted the drone strikes brought the geopolitical situation "right into the daily lives of every Bulgarian."
- Yotova pledged at a rally this month that "not a single Bulgarian soldier will go to Ukraine," while Gyurov claimed the current concentration of power bears "marks of a slide toward autocracy."
- Protester Vlada Tzenova described the drone attacks and government inaction as a "catalyst" for change, signaling voter discontent may influence the weekend election outcome.
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Bulgarians vote Sunday to elect a new president, in a vote marked by security concerns, following a series of drone attacks on commercial ships in the Black Sea, near the coasts of Bulgaria, reports AFP
Bulgarians vote Sunday for the election of the president, on the basis of concerns about security in the Black Sea and divisions related to the war in Ukraine. Favored in the polls is the current president, Iliana Iotova, who pleads for dialogue with Moscow and opposes the continuation of the military aid granted to Kiev.
BULGARIANS are voting in presidential elections today, while Russia's war against Ukraine is spreading to Bulgaria's Black Sea coast.
Bulgarians began voting Sunday for the election of the president, in a vote marked by security concerns, after a series of drone attacks on commercial ships in the Black Sea, near their coasts, informs AFP.
The outgoing President, Iliana Iotova, in favour of dialogue with Russia and opposed to military aid to Ukraine, is a favourite.
Polls open for presidential election in Bulgaria dominated by economic
Posters featuring independent presidential candidate Andrey Gyurov and his vice-presidential running mate, Georgi Kandev are displayed on screens during their campaign's closing event in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, on Oct. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova)
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- 46% of the sources lean Left
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