Bulgarians vote in presidential runoff amid security tensions in the Black Sea
Also reported by Al Jazeera
Summary
Bulgarians voted on November 1 in a presidential runoff between incumbent Iliana Iotova, who favors negotiations with Moscow and opposes military aid to Ukraine, and pro-Western candidate Andrey Gyurov. The vote followed drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea; Bulgarian officials said there was no evidence directly linking the attacks to Russia.Key Facts
- Iotova received 35% of the vote in the first round, while Gyurov received 32%.
- Turnout in the first round was 23%, and officials expected higher participation in the runoff.
- Turnout reached 6.1% by 11 a.m. local time, compared with 5.8% at the same time in the first round.
- Several vessels were struck in the Black Sea off Bulgaria in October, leaving 21 people missing.
- Prime Minister Rumen Radev said the attacks appeared to serve Russian interests, but his government said it had no direct evidence tying them to Moscow.
- Gyurov criticized Iotova for not explicitly blaming Russia for the attacks.
- Iotova supports Bulgaria's membership in the European Union and NATO and says peace in Ukraine requires negotiations.
- The president's post is largely ceremonial.
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