Iliana Yotova wins Bulgaria's presidential runoff election
Yotova took a commanding share of the vote against pro-Western challenger Andrey Gyurov, who accepted the result at a press conference in Sofia.
Iliana Yotova won Bulgaria's presidential election on Sunday, with parallel counts by five polling agencies showing a wide lead over her pro-Western rival, Bulgaria's state-run news agency Anadolu Agency reported.
The completed parallel counts put Yotova's share of the vote between 56.6 percent and 58.2 percent, against 38.6 percent to 40.6 percent for Andrey Gyurov.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Yotova on her victory, posting on the US social media platform X.
Von der Leyen said she looked forward to continuing cooperation with Yotova on security, defense, competitiveness and energy independence.
She closed her message with a call "For a strong Bulgaria in a strong Europe."
Gyurov told a press conference in Sofia that he accepted the outcome, saying, "We accept the results, no matter how surprising they are."
He added that while the campaign is ending, the responsibility is not.
Yotova also improved on her first-round result from last weekend, when she finished with 34.76 percent against Gyurov's 31.95 percent.
A longtime figure in the Bulgarian Socialist Party, Yotova campaigned against additional arms support for Ukraine and instead called for peace through a diplomatic solution, a position that contrasted with her rival's.
The election follows April's parliamentary vote, in which Progressive Bulgaria, led by former President Rumen Radev, won 131 of the National Assembly's 240 seats and an outright majority.
Bulgaria's president is the country's head of state and is chosen by voters, while most executive power rests with the government and the prime minister.
