Bulgaria’s election heads to a run-off amid low voter turnout

Bulgaria’s presidential election is heading to a run-off next weekend after polls closed with low voter turnout and no candidate garnering enough votes to win the election on Sunday.

None of the 27 candidates in the first round secured a majority of votes, forcing a second round next Sunday.

President Iliana Yotova, who has been in office since January, won 34.7 percent of the vote followed by Andrey Gyurov with just under 32 percent – both falling short of the 50 percent threshold. Gyurov briefly served as Bulgaria’s caretaker prime minister earlier this year.

As the top two vote winners, the candidates will face each other in Sunday’s run-off.

Minister of Interior Ivan Demerdzhiev said Sunday’s election “took place peacefully, without the usual practices of vote buying and vote manipulation”, Bulgarian National Television reported.

A run-off was expected ahead of the vote, which requires a turnout of at least 50 percent of registered voters and for candidates to win at least 50 percent of votes in the first round.

Voter turnout was 22.2 percent as of 0930am local time (07:30 GMT) on Monday, according to Radio Bulgaria.

Black Sea attacks

Rising energy costs, inflation, attacks in the Black Sea and Russia’s war in Ukraine were the major issues in the lead-up to the vote in the NATO and European Union member.

A series of drone strikes on ships off Bulgaria’s coast, condemned by both candidates, dominated headlines during the campaigning.

Leftist Yotova is backed by Prime Minister Rumen Radev, whose Progressive Bulgaria party enjoyed success in April’s parliamentary elections. Yotova became president in January after serving as vice president.

A former member of the European Parliament and a journalist, she ran as an independent with the backing of both Progressive Bulgaria and the Socialist Party.

Should she win, she is expected to keep Bulgaria in line with Europe, while calling for improved relations with Russia.

After casting her vote, Yotova said she wanted to address “the dire issue of poverty”, as well as “inequalities and regional disputes”, the AFP news agency reported.

“I believe that there must be peace, stability, and security,” she added.

Gyurov has the support of the country’s pro-Western opposition and signed a security cooperation agreement with Ukraine as prime minister.

He said on Sunday that he wanted “a Bulgaria that looks forward, a country that is European, free, and proud”.

“Next week, Bulgaria must choose between two personalities, two directions,” he said after the vote, and invited Yotova to a debate before the next round.

Although the role of president is largely ceremonial, the president leads the armed forces, can veto legislation and sign treaties.