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Runoff election in Bulgaria: Pro-Western challenger fights for the presidency
Bulgaria elects a new head of state. The runoff election is shaping up to be dramatic. Previously, President Jotowa achieved a modest result. more...
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dpa | A decisive runoff election for the presidency has begun in Bulgaria, an EU and NATO country. The incumbent, Ilijana Jotova, a former MEP, and the consistently pro-Western ex-interim prime minister Andrei Gyurov are running against each other. The 50-year-old, who has a doctorate in economics, is supported by the reform-minded liberal-conservative opposition camp.
The runoff election was necessary because none of the 27 candidates achieved an absolute majority in the first round last Sunday. The top two finishers, Jotova and Gyurov, received 34.76 and 31.95 percent of the vote, respectively.
In the first round of voting, 62-year-old Jotova was supported by the sole governing center-left Progressive Bulgaria (PB) party and by the Socialists (BSP), of which she had previously been spokesperson. Pro-Russian nationalists also gave her support for the runoff election.
The war in Ukraine not far from Bulgaria gives the election in the country on NATO's eastern flank a new dimension. During the election campaign, Jotova repeatedly advocated for a peace solution for Ukraine through negotiations with Russia. The runoff election is likely to decide whether Jotova will continue the cautious line of Prime Minister Rumen Radev in the presidential office, whose deputy she was before he resigned as head of state.
If he wins the election, Gyurov is likely to set different foreign policy priorities. It suggests a closer orientation towards Western partners and stronger support for Ukraine in the Russian war of aggression.
Rising costs of living and expensive fuel are causing increasing concern for people in one of the poorest EU countries. The presidential election is seen as a test for the government after six months in office, as the ruling PB party directly supports candidate Jotowa.
Around 6.5 million eligible voters can cast their votes until 7 p.m. CET (8 p.m. local time). Forecasts from pollsters will only be published after the election closes. Official results are hardly expected on election night.