Bulgaria's presidential election is set for a runoff after no candidate ticket managed to secure more than 50 percent of the vote. The second round of the election is scheduled for November 1.
Unofficial results provided by the polling agency Alpha Research, as reported by Bulgarian National Television, indicate that incumbent President Iliana Yotova and her running mate, Kiril Valchev, garnered 34.6 percent of the vote. Former prime minister Andrey Gyurov and his vice-presidential candidate, Georgi Kandev, secured 32.7 percent. Data from the polling agency Myara offered slightly different figures, placing Yotova at 35 percent and Gyurov at 31.9 percent. Voter turnout was reported at 22.5 percent by Alpha Research and 22.2 percent by Myara.
Following the closure of the polls, President Yotova addressed the media to express concern regarding the low voter turnout. While thanking those who participated in the election, she stated that it is an illusion to believe that citizens can change anything in the country without voting. Yotova emphasized that her campaign will continue with a renewed effort to engage more decisively with all Bulgarian citizens, adding that the country requires stable governance rather than alliances formed between political parties.
In response to the results, Andrey Gyurov challenged the president to participate in a public debate prior to the runoff. Gyurov argued that Bulgaria needs an active leader capable of uniting citizens rather than dividing them. He issued a formal invitation to Yotova for an open, honest, and civilized debate to discuss their respective views on how they would exercise presidential powers and act when the nation faces difficult choices.
