Ilijana Jotowa secures second term as President of Bulgaria

According to projections from Bulgarian research institutes Mjara and Alpha Research, Jotowa garnered up to 58 percent of the vote. She was supported by the ruling center-left party, Progressives Bulgaria (PB).

Her challenger, Andrej Gjurow, who represented the pro-Western liberal-conservative opposition, received up to 39 percent of the vote.

Jotowa, a former socialist Member of the European Parliament, previously served as a spokesperson and member of the leadership of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), the successor party to the communist state party.

Prior to the vote, Jotowa indicated her future EU policy would prioritize a strong Bulgaria within a strong Europe, while also advocating for Bulgaria’s own foreign policy and national interests. She stated, “I voted for Bulgaria to be a strong state in a strong Europe, that Bulgaria also has its own foreign policy and backbone when it must defend what is most important – the national interest.”

Jotowa has expressed a desire to be a “President of Peace” and has repeatedly championed a negotiated solution to the war in Ukraine through talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, should she be tasked with doing so by Bulgarian institutions.

She is expected to continue the restrained approach to policy previously adopted by Prime Minister Rumen Radew, whom she served as Vice President until January 2026.

The election served as a test for Radew’s government, which has been in power since May and directly supported Jotowa. While the Progressives Bulgaria (PB) party maintains its position, the opposition claims the results represent a “red card” for the government due to rising living costs and expensive fuel.

According to researchers, voter turnout was 29.1 percent, higher than the first round of voting but still low, with fewer than two million of the 6.5 million eligible voters participating. The absolute number of votes for Gjurow nearly doubled.