Bulgaria heads to the polls with presidential runoff expected

Bulgarians are set to vote in presidential elections on Sunday, with observers anticipating that the contest will proceed to a second round.

Incumbent President Iliana Iotova is competing as an independent candidate, backed by Prime Minister Rumen Radev's Progressive Bulgaria party and the Socialist Party. Her chief contender is economist Andrey Gyurov, a former deputy governor of the central bank who served as caretaker prime minister earlier in 2026.

Given the competitive field, neither candidate is projected to secure an absolute majority in the initial vote.

Sources: Beta, Danas.