Bulgaria’s 2026 presidential elections: Yotova names state news agency head as running mate
Bulgarian President Iliana Yotova named on September 3 the head of state news agency BTA Kiril Vulchev as her running mate in Bulgaria’s regular presidential elections in autumn 2026.
Yotova, formerly vice president to Roumen Radev, has since January 2026 been president after Radev stepped down as head of state to enter parliamentary politics.
Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria party went on to decisive victory in Bulgaria’s April 2026 early parliamentary elections, forming the basis for a government with policies that are incoherent, inconsistent, populist and vaguely pro-Russian.
Yotova, a former reporter who once in office as vice president fell on her knees on greeting former KGB agent and Russian Patriarch Kirill, is seeking election as Bulgaria’s president in the autumn. Her background is with the Bulgarian Socialist Party.
According to a report by Bulgarian National Television, Vulchev received an invitation from Yotova back in August.
Vulchev, originally by profession a lawyer, said: “In August, we had the opportunity to have many conversations. And I hope I was wise, not right, in making the decision.”
Yotova told reporters that the vice president must have a basic understanding of the country’s laws, know how the Bulgarian state functions, and respect the laws.
She said that Vulchev is a lawyer, a man of his word, and a public figure.
“I did not aspire to be a candidate for vice president,” Vulchev said. “This is a recognition not for me, but for BTA – an institution of consensus”.
Vulchev: “I see myself as a guarantor of two things. Another guarantor in the presidency for democracy and for Bulgaria in Europe, where our people have been contributing for 14 centuries, and our generation has placed the Bulgarian alphabet among the three alphabets in the European Union.”
Yotova announced her candidacy for the post of head of state in Bulgarian National Television’s Panorama studio on July 24. She has been endorsed by Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria.
