In the presidential elections in Bulgaria, incumbent President Iliana Iotova and vice-presidential candidate Kiril Valchev declared their victory, stating that they emerged from the polls with a clear lead.
According to unofficial results broadcast on Bulgarian National Television (BNT), Iotova finished the race in the lead. In the unofficial data from the public opinion research company Alpha Research, Iotova's vote share was announced as 57.4 percent, while her opponent Andrey Gyurov's vote share was 39.6 percent.
Iotova addressed her voters at the National Palace of Culture in the capital Sofia, alongside Valchev and Prime Minister Rumen Radev. Thanking all citizens, both those who supported her and those who did not, Iotova said they would conduct a comprehensive assessment to understand the concerns of society.
"I sincerely thank everyone who supported us, on behalf of myself and the vice-presidential candidate, now the elected Vice President Mr. Valchev."
Iotova also reported that her opponent Gyurov called her on the phone to congratulate her. In his speech, Valchev also thanked the voters and stated that he would work to be a guarantor of democracy in Bulgaria and that the representation of citizens would be one of his primary priorities.
Prime Minister Radev congratulated Iotova and Valchev. Radev stated that they had demonstrated a strong mobilization in a short time and said he believed Iotova would be a president worthy of the office she assumed during the country's difficult times.
WHO ARE IOTOVA AND VALCHEV?
Born in Sofia in 1964, Iliana Iotova studied Bulgarian Philology at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"; she participated in specialization programs at the French National School of Administration and the Strasbourg European Studies Center. Working as a journalist and manager at BNT between 1990-1997, Iotova later managed the press center of the Bulgarian Socialist Party. Following her tenure as a member of parliament and a member of the European Parliament, she became vice president in 2017; she took over the presidency on January 23 following Rumen Radev's resignation on January 19, 2026.
Born in 1973, Kiril Valchev is a graduate of the Sofia University Faculty of Law. Working in the fields of journalism and law, Valchev gained experience at Deutsche Welle, the BBC Bulgarian service, and various media organizations. Specializing in media and intellectual property, Valchev was elected Director General of BTA by the Bulgarian Parliament in 2021.
News Source: 12punto
