Moscow and the West at the Heart of the Battle: Bulgaria Elects Its New President

Bulgarians headed to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president for the country in the second round of the presidential election.

The race features incumbent President Iliana Yotova, who calls for dialogue with Moscow to end the war in Ukraine, against former interim Prime Minister Andrei Gyurov, supported by the pro-Western opposition.

The first round of the election saw fierce competition between two candidates with opposing visions regarding the war in Ukraine and relations with Russia, amid growing security tensions in the Black Sea.

Yotova advocates dialogue with Moscow and opposes military support for Ukraine, while Gyurov enjoys the backing of the pro-Western opposition.

The first round took place amidst security concerns following a series of drone attacks targeting ships in the Black Sea.

Yotova (62 years old) focused her campaign on addressing the "tragic issue of poverty" in the EU's poorest country and "social disparities and regional inequalities."

Her campaign also centered on Ukraine, pledging to be a "president of peace," stating, "I believe there must be peace, stability, and security."

Her opponent, Gyurov, a banker and former head of an interim government, said he seeks a Bulgaria that "looks forward, is a European, free country proud of itself... where the state works as it should."

Yotova assumed the presidency this year when Rumen Radev stepped down to run in the parliamentary elections and become prime minister.

If she wins the second round, she will become the first woman directly elected president in the history of Bulgaria, a member of the European Union and NATO, with a population of 6.4 million.

Attacks on Ships

Yotova, a former journalist and Member of the European Parliament, was elected vice president under Radev in 2016 and 2021.

While she does not question Bulgaria's membership in the EU and NATO, she opposes providing military aid to Ukraine and calls for negotiations.

Bulgaria felt the repercussions of the Russian-Ukrainian war sharply this month when four ships were attacked off its coast, resulting in the loss of 21 people.

Although Radev stated that the attacks likely serve Russian interests and summoned the Russian ambassador, his government insists there is no evidence linking them to Moscow.

Bulgaria, historically close to Russia, continues to suffer deep divisions regarding its relationship with Moscow.

Parvan Simeonov, a political analyst and founder of the "Myara" polling center, viewed these elections as presenting Bulgaria with two contradictory visions: one "conservative and populist leaning towards the East," and the other "Western, elitist, and liberal."