Bulgarians vote for president as Ukraine war divides candidates

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 25 Oct, 07:32 · Archive

Bulgarians are voting for president amid divisions over the country's stance towards Russia and the Ukraine war.

Polls opened in Bulgaria's presidential election on Sunday, with voters choosing between candidates with starkly different views on the Ukraine war. Incumbent President Iliana Iotova, 61, and Andrey Gyurov, 50, the former caretaker prime minister, were the leading candidates, polling ahead of 25 others. Although the presidency is largely ceremonial, the post carries significant powers: the president commands the armed forces, can veto legislation and appoints ambassadors.

The campaign has been dominated by economic hardship and drone attacks on merchant ships off the Bulgarian coast, which have killed about two dozen international seafarers. The attacks, which prompted international condemnation and concerns about Russia's war in Ukraine spreading further, led the Bulgarian government to seek maritime security help from allies. Both leading candidates condemned the strikes, though Prime Minister Rumen Radev suggested they benefited Russia without explicitly blaming it.

The candidates diverge sharply on Ukraine policy. Gyurov, backed by pro-Western, reformist parties, is a strong supporter of Ukraine who signed a security cooperation agreement with Kyiv. He advocates for Bulgaria to be a 'reliable NATO ally' with 'a clear position'. Iotova, by contrast, favours dialogue with Moscow as a path to peace and opposes military aid to Kyiv. A win for Iotova would benefit Radev, whose parliamentary government also advocates dialogue with Moscow. Exit polls are expected when polling stations close at 8 p.m. GMT, with official results within 48 hours.

How it is being reported

• Bulgaria holds presidential elections amid divisions over Ukraine warBulgarians are voting in presidential elections amid security concerns over attacks on ships in the Black Sea. The vote for the largely ceremonial post is seen as a test of the popularity of Prime Minister Rumen Radev.DW News · 25 Oct, 07:19
• Bulgarians vote for president in shadow of Russia’s war in UkraineThe two leading candidates condemn recent deadly Black Sea drone strikes, but differ on the Ukraine war more broadly.Al Jazeera · 25 Oct, 02:45

In this story: Bulgaria · Iliana Iotova · Andrey Gyurov · Rumen Radev · Ukraine · Russia · Black Sea · NATO

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