Voting underway
On 1 November, the second round of the presidential elections is taking place in Bulgaria. Two key figures are competing for the post of head of state: incumbent President Iliana Yotova and pro-Western opposition candidate Andrey Gyurov.
Polling stations opened at 07:00. Their standard operating hours end at 20:00. However, if queues remain at the exit when closing time arrives, polling stations may extend their operations until 21:00.
Results of the previous stage
In the first round, which took place earlier, Iliana Yotova received 35% of the votes, while Andrey Gyurov obtained 32%. It is worth noting that voter turnout at that stage was only 23%, a record-low figure for the country.
Candidates' positions
Iliana Yotova, a long-time ally of former President Rumen Radev, supports Bulgaria's membership in the EU and NATO. At the same time, she advocates for negotiations with Russia and opposes providing military aid to Ukraine.
During the televised debates held on the eve of the second round, Andrey Gyurov criticised his opponent for avoiding directly accusing Russia of attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea.
Biographies of the participants
62-year-old Iliana Yotova has experience working as a journalist and served as a Member of the European Parliament. In 2016 and 2021, she was elected Vice President of Bulgaria alongside Rumen Radev. This year, she assumed the presidency following his resignation, as he decided to run in the parliamentary elections.
Her opponent, 50-year-old Andrey Gyurov, previously served as acting Prime Minister and was Deputy Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank. He advocates for strengthening ties with the West and supports Ukraine.
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