Bulgaria’s 2026 presidential elections: Emboldened Gyurov throws down gauntlet to Yotova
Emboldened by opinion polling results at the close of the October 25 first round of Bulgaria’s 2026 presidential elections, Andrei Gyurov – who is backed by a group of opposition parties – threw down the gauntlet to incumbent head of state Iliana Yotova to meet in a public television debate ahead of the November 1 second round.
On the evening at the close of voting on October 25, the Market Links agency – alone among other agencies – showed that Gyurov, according to 100 per cent parallel counting, led with 33.5 per cent support against President and presidential candidate Iliana Yotova, with 32.7 per cent.
Yotova, who became president in January 2026 after Roumen Radev quit the post to enter parliamentary politics, is seeking election as president in her own right, and has the stated backing of Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria party, the Bulgarian Socialist Party and left-wing ABV.
She was nominated by an initiative committee, with state news agency BTA head Kiril Vulchev as her running mate.
Gyurov, who earlier in 2026 served as caretaker prime minister, also is the nominee of an initiative committee and has the endorsement of pro-Western political groups We Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria, opposition in Parliament to Prime Minister Radev’s ruling party. Gyurov’s running mate is former acting Interior Ministry chief secretary Georgi Kandev.
In contrast to the Market Links findings, the Alpha Research agency said that 34.6 per cent had voted for Yotova, ahead of 32.7 per cent for Gyurov. Overall, the distance between Yotova and Gyurov is considerably closer than had been shown by eve-of-voting opinion polls.
Gyurov, speaking to reporters at a late-night briefing on October 25, said: “This is a huge trust that obliges us to continue the fight for Bulgaria”.
“We have a lot of work ahead of us. Next week, Bulgaria must choose between two personalities, two directions,” he said.
“I believe that Bulgaria needs a president who brings balance, a president who unites Bulgarian citizens, not divides them.”
Gyyrov invited Yotova to a debate before the runoff.
Already, Gyurov and Yotova had stated readiness to meet in debate on public broadcaster Bulgarian National Television on October 29, should they reach the second round of the presidential elections. Whether this stated intention for the two to debate will come to pass is not yet clear.
“I believe that Bulgaria needs an active president who can provide a balance against the concentration of power. One who can explain decisions – both good and bad, and a president who unites Bulgarian citizens, not divides them,” said Gyurov, whose campaign has characterised Yotova as an adjunct to the power wielded by Radev, which would be strengthened by having Radev’s ally stay on as head of state.
“Therefore, at the end of this tiring month and before the next tiring week, I would like to call on Ms. Yotova and I to stand before the Bulgarian citizens in an open, honest and civilised debate to express our positions, our views on how we will use our powers and how we will act when Bulgaria is faced with a difficult choice,” Gyurov said.
A key point in Bulgaria’s autumn 2026 elections has been the continued attacks, widely blamed on Russia, on merchant shipping in the Black Sea off the coasts of Bulgaria and Romania. The Radev – Yotova axis has chosen not to blame Russia, claiming a lack of proof. The camp behind Gyurov has been clear on blaming Russia, and has criticised Yotova for her tardiness and vagueness in response, with Yotova preferring to speak about a “coalition of peace” to end the war between Putin’s Russia and Ukraine, with the latter wanting to retain its sovereign territory in line with international law.
Bulgaria’s 2026 presidential elections: The Sofia Globe’s factfile
