Bulgaria votes in polarized presidential runoff on Ukraine

Summarised from DW News's report · Updated 1 Nov, 08:02 · Archive

Bulgarians are voting in a presidential runoff between a Moscow-friendly incumbent and a pro-Western candidate, overshadowed by the war in Ukraine.

Bulgarians are voting on 1 November in a presidential runoff between incumbent Iliana Yotova and Andrey Gyurov, a former caretaker prime minister backed by the pro-Western opposition. Although the presidency is largely ceremonial, the president can appoint interim governments, serve as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and veto legislation.

The election has been dominated by disagreement over the war in Ukraine and Bulgaria's relationship with Russia. Yotova has presented herself as a 'president of peace' who favours dialogue with Moscow and opposes military aid to Ukraine, arguing it 'leads only to more destruction and the deaths of many people on both sides'. Gyurov, backed by the pro-Western opposition, accused Yotova in a TV debate of avoiding direct criticism of Russia over attacks in the Black Sea. 'Russia must stop its aggression so that the next steps can be taken,' he said.

The first round on 25 October saw record-low voter turnout, with Yotova winning 34.76 per cent of the vote and Gyurov taking 31.95 per cent. Security concerns in the Black Sea, which borders Bulgaria, have risen due to drone attacks targeting commercial vessels.

Read the report

• Bulgarians vote in highly polarized presidential runoff overshadowed by Ukraine warVoters in Bulgaria are choosing between two candidates with vastly different views of the war in Ukraine and ties with Russia. The runoff comes after a record-low turnout in the first round.DW News · 1 Nov, 07:00

In this story: Bulgaria · Iliana Yotova · Andrey Gyurov · Russia · Ukraine · Rumen Radev · European Union · Black Sea

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