Bulgaria's Iotova leads presidential runoff, exit polls show

· Politics · Bulgaria

Exit polls showed Bulgaria's acting President Iliana Iotova leading a low-turnout runoff vote for the largely ceremonial presidency on Sunday, putting her on course to become the country's first elected female head of state. Bloomberg reported incumbent President Iliana Yotova won the election, strengthening Ukraine-skeptic Prime Minister Rumen Radev's grip on power in the euro-area country. The vote came against the backdrop of a series of drone attacks on merchant ships off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast in the past month.

Why it matters：The result cements a Ukraine-skeptic leadership in a euro-area country and could shift its stance within the EU.

Key points

  • Iotova would be the first elected female head of state
  • Turnout was low in the runoff
  • The vote followed drone attacks on ships off Bulgaria

Sources (original reporting)

More stories from this day