In the second round of Bulgaria's presidential election, incumbent acting President Iliana Yotova is far ahead in exit polls. If this candidate, who received 58% of the vote, is ultimately victorious, she will set a record as the country's first elected female head of state. Her rival and former interim Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov, who received 38% of the vote, has already conceded defeat.
When then-Prime Minister Rumen Radev resigned in January this year, 62-year-old Yotova assumed the duties of acting president. In foreign policy, she favors maintaining good relations with Russia alongside the European Union. In addition, this politician supports lifting Russian sanctions and a diplomatic solution instead of military conflict to end the war in Ukraine.
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Although the post of president in Bulgaria is largely ceremonial, because it is elected by direct vote, it has political significance. According to the country's constitution, the president serves as supreme commander of the armed forces, as well as having the power to veto legislation and sign international treaties.
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