Presidential race in Bulgaria heads to run-off after record low turnout
Pro-Western reformist Andrey Gyurov will face the incumbent leftist president Iliana Yotova in a highly polarised contest on November 1
The presidential election in Bulgaria on Sunday ended inconclusively, with the next head of state to be picked in a run-off, according to election officials.
A record low turnout, attributed by observers to a general mistrust in politicians resulting in voter apathy, will pit two contrasting political visions against each other in a highly polarised contest on November 1.
In a surprisingly strong performance, the candidate of the pro-Western reformist opposition, Andrey Gyurov, will face the incumbent leftist President Iliana Yotova, setting clear lines of division regarding the country’s future relationships with other nations.
Bulgarians voted against a backdrop of growing economic hardship and drone attacks on Black Sea shipping. The vote is the first major test for the Moscow-friendly Progressive Bulgaria party of Prime Minister Rumen Radev after its triumph in parliamentary elections in April.
