Bulgarians are voting on October 25 in a presidential election whose central foreign-policy divide has been sharpened by alleged drone attacks on commercial ships off the country’s Black Sea coast. DW reports that polling stations are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time, with official results expected within 48 hours. If no candidate wins an absolute majority, a runoff is scheduled for November 1.
The leading candidates represent opposing approaches to the war in Ukraine. Incumbent President Iliana Yotova, backed by Prime Minister and former President Rumen Radev, favors dialogue with Moscow and opposes military aid to Kyiv, according to DW. Her main challenger, former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov, is supported by pro-Western opposition parties and advocates stronger Euro-Atlantic ties.
The presidency is largely ceremonial but retains security and political powers: the president is commander-in-chief, can veto legislation and can appoint caretaker governments during political crises. The election therefore also tests Radev’s governing party after its victory in April, DW’s earlier campaign report said. That report found that the race had increasingly focused on support for Ukraine and Bulgaria’s response to Black Sea security concerns.
Bulgaria’s government initially declined invitations to join NATO’s anti-drone initiative but changed position after the attacks, according to the earlier DW report. Yotova has promoted a “Coalition of Peace” and pledged that no Bulgarian soldiers would be sent to Ukraine, while a 2025 parliamentary declaration had already ruled out Bulgarian participation in hostilities there.
The security implications remain disputed. DW reported that four merchant ships were allegedly hit by drones off Bulgaria’s coast this month, but Bulgarian authorities have not publicly attributed the incidents to a specific party. Radev summoned Russia’s ambassador after saying there was no solid evidence for such an accusation, although he said the outcome appeared to benefit Russia.