Bulgaria votes in presidential run-off: Jotova vs Gjurov

Voters in Bulgaria go to the polls today for the second round of the country's presidential election, choosing between incumbent Iliana Jotova and former technical prime minister Andrej Gjurov.

In the first round on 25 October, Jotova won 34.76 percent of the vote, while Gjurov took 31.95 percent. With no candidate securing a majority, the run-off was called. Turnout was notably low at around 23 percent, according to local media.

The main point of difference between the candidates is their stance towards Russia and the war in Ukraine. Jotova, a former socialist MEP and vice president before taking over the presidency in January, favours a more measured approach to Moscow and supports continued diplomacy. She is backed by current Prime Minister Rumen Radev, whose platform advocates improving relations with Russia.

Gjurov, an economist supported by pro-Western reformist parties, argues for stronger backing of Ukraine and closer alignment with the European Union and NATO. As head of the technical government he signed a security cooperation agreement with Kyiv.

Bulgaria, a member of both the EU and NATO, sits on the Black Sea coast and has felt the impact of growing regional insecurity. There have been recent drone attacks on commercial ships and incidents of arson against Starlink antennas in the country, which play a role in Ukrainian military communications.

If Jotova wins, she would become the first woman elected president of Bulgaria. Polling stations close at 8pm local time (7pm Croatian time), with official results expected on Monday.