---
title: "Yotova Wins Bulgarian Presidential Election: Second Round Results"
description: "Following the second round of the Bulgarian presidential election on November 1, incumbent Head of State Iliana Yotova won 57.69% of the vote, ahead of Andrei Gyurov (39.35%). The opponent conceded the results."
date: 2026-11-02T03:37:04.225Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/yotova-wins-bulgarian-presidential-election
tags: [bulgaria, presidential-elections, iliyana-yotova, andrey-guev, politics]
author: "Alexander Buran"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Yotova Wins Bulgarian Presidential Election: Second Round Results

![Iliana Yotova speaking at a podium during a session in the European Parliament](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/02/yotova-pobezhdaet-na-prezidentskih-vyborah-v-bolgarii/yotova-pobezhdaet-na-prezidentskih-vyborah-v-bolgarii-1.webp)

## Key Points

- Incumbent President Iliana Yotova is leading in the second round of the Bulgarian presidential election on November 1, 2026, with 57.69% of the vote.
- Her opponent, former Prime Minister Andrei Gyurov, garnered 39.35% and conceded the election results.
- 2.96% of voters chose the "none of the above" option; the CEC processed 99.56% of the votes.
- The election became a snap vote following Rumen Radev's resignation in January 2026 and the transfer of powers to Yotova.

On Sunday, November 1, 2026, the second round of the presidential election took place in Bulgaria. According to the country's Central Election Commission, which by Monday morning (as of 5:00 Kyiv time) had processed 99.56% of the votes, incumbent Head of State Iliana Yotova, running alongside vice-presidential candidate Kiril Vilchev, secured victory. According to the vote count results, 57.69% of voters cast their ballots for this ticket.

### Voting Results

Yotova's main opponent was former Prime Minister Andrei Gyurov, running with vice-presidential candidate Georgi Kandev. According to the same CEC data, their result stood at 39.35%. In addition, 2.96% of voters chose the "none of the above" option. The gap between the two main candidate pairs exceeded 18 percentage points, indicating a fairly confident victory for the incumbent president.

### Candidates' Positions

As RBC-Ukraine emphasizes, citing the BNT TV channel, Iliana Yotova advocated for dialogue with Russia and against the supply of aid to Ukraine throughout the election campaign. Her rival, Andrei Gyurov, by contrast, positioned himself as a pro-Ukrainian and pro-Western candidate. This specific alignment of political stances determined the nature of the second round and divided the country's electorate into two camps.

### Recognition of Results

Following the vote count, Andrei Gyurov acknowledged the election results. "We accept the results as we saw them. This is how the citizens of Bulgaria voted. Nothing was in vain, and the best is yet to come," he stated. The opponent's public admission of defeat removed any grounds for contesting the outcome and effectively cemented Yotova's victory.

### Background: Radev's Resignation

The snap election was made possible after the termination of the previous president's powers. As the publication recalls, in January 2026, Rumen Radev, who had served in the post for nearly nine years, announced his resignation, and on January 23, the Constitutional Court officially terminated his powers. Radev became the first head of state to voluntarily leave office before the end of his term. Following this, presidential powers transferred to Vice President Iliana Yotova, who ran for a full term.

### Significance of the Result

The incumbent president's victory against the backdrop of her statements favoring dialogue with Russia and criticizing aid to Ukraine could become an important signal for Bulgaria's foreign policy and its position within the EU and NATO. Final official results will be confirmed by the Central Election Commission after the complete vote count.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Президентом Болгарии стала пророссийская кандидатка Йотова](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/prezidentom-bolgariyi-stala-prorosiyska-kandidatka-1793590166.html) - Bulgarian CEC data (99.56% processed): Yotova/Vilchev 57.69%, Gyurov/Kandev 39.35%, "none of the above" 2.96%; Gyurov's statement conceding results; context of Radev's resignation in January 2026.

## FAQ

### Who won the second round of the Bulgarian presidential election?

According to the CEC with 99.56% of votes processed, incumbent Head of State Iliana Yotova and vice-presidential candidate Kiril Vilchev won with 57.69% of the vote.

### What was the result of Yotova's opponent?

Former Prime Minister Andrei Gyurov and vice-presidential candidate Georgi Kandev received 39.35% of the vote. Another 2.96% of voters chose the "none of the above" option.

### Did Gyurov concede defeat?

Yes. Andrei Gyurov stated: "We accept the results as we saw them. This is how the citizens of Bulgaria voted. Nothing was in vain, and the best is yet to come."

### Why did the election take place early?

In January 2026, President Rumen Radev announced his resignation after nearly nine years in office, and on January 23, the Constitutional Court terminated his powers. Afterwards, powers transferred to Vice President Iliana Yotova.