Bulgaria's acting President Iliana Iotova is heading towards a decisive victory over her pro-Western rival, Andrey Gurov, in the second round of the presidential election held on Sunday.
Sofia: Bulgaria's acting President Iliana Iotova is heading towards a decisive victory over her pro-Western rival, Andrey Gurov, in the second round of the presidential election held on Sunday. Exit polls indicate that she has secured a substantial lead. Parallel vote projections compiled by five major polling agencies estimate that Iotova will receive between 56.6 and 58.2 percent of the vote, while Andrey Gurov is expected to secure between 35.6 and 40.6 percent.
Speaking at a press conference in Sofia, Gurov said, "We accept the results, no matter how surprising they may be." He added that although the election campaign was coming to an end, responsibility did not end with it. Iotova, who has long been associated with the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), increased her support compared with the first round held last week. She received 34.76 percent of the vote in the first round, while Gurov finished second with 31.95 percent. During her election campaign, Iotova called for an end to further arms supplies to Ukraine and advocated achieving peace through diplomatic negotiations instead. This position differed from that of her rival.
The presidential election is taking place following parliamentary elections held in April, in which Progressive Bulgaria, led by former President Rumen Radev, secured a clear majority by winning 131 of the 240 seats in the National Assembly. Iotova previously served as Radev's vice president. Radev resigned from office in January, after which Iotova assumed the position of acting president. Progressive Bulgaria has endorsed her candidacy for a full five-year presidential term.
Andrey Gurov, a former deputy governor of the Bulgarian National Bank, warned during the election campaign that Iotova's victory would leave little room for a genuine balance of power in the country's highest office, as Progressive Bulgaria already controls the government. On issues concerning the European Union and security policy, Gurov criticised the government's hesitation, its reduced support for Ukraine and its slow coordination with NATO and European Union allies. He argued that this approach had made Bulgaria more vulnerable and turned it into a weak link on the eastern flank of the alliance.
