On 3 November 2026, the Bulgarian Central Electoral Commission proclaimed the victory of Iliana Iotova and Kiril Valchev. The tandem won the second presidential round on 1 November. Iotova has already held the presidency since January, after the resignation of Rumen Radev.
A victory now proclaimed
Decision No. 441 of the Central Electoral Commission establishes the final results of the election. Iotova and Valchev received 1,093,852 votes, against 750,251 for Andrei Gyurov and Georgi Kandev. The option not to support any candidate totals 56,080 votes.
The official portal of the second round allocated 57.566% and 39.483% respectively to the two tandems. These percentages include the « no candidate » option, which represents 2.951% of the votes recorded in this allocation. The score of Iotova is thus 57.6%.
The proclamation of 3 November goes beyond the stage of electoral estimates and the full regional count published the previous day. The Commission declares Iotova elected President and Valchev elected Vice-President. It provides for the publication of its decision in the Bulgarian Official Journal.
Already head of state since January
This victory does not correspond to an immediate first take-up of duties. According to his official biography published on 23 January 2026, Iotova became head of state that day. The Constitutional Court then terminated Rumen Radev’s powers after his resignation.
She was elected vice-president alongside Radev in November 2016, and re-elected in 2021. A former public television journalist, she then worked in the Bulgarian Socialist Party. From 2005 to 2007, she also served in the European Parliament. Its trajectory thus combines parliamentary responsibilities and the exercise of presidential functions.
Security in the Black Sea at the centre of its positions
In his speech to the UN General Assembly of 23 September 2026, published by the Presidency, Iotova defended a diplomatic outcome to the war in Ukraine. It called for moving the conflict to the political terrain and for negotiations with guarantees.
It also placed Black Sea security among its priorities. The Chair referred to a Bulgarian initiative to seek agreement with the countries of the region and interested parties. The stated aim was to protect freedom and safety of navigation. These guidelines fall within its public positions; The election result alone is not a diplomatic agreement.
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