Bulgaria’s Sunday presidential vote puts Ukraine and Black Sea security in focus

Bulgarians vote on Sunday, Oct. 25, in a presidential election shaped by Russia’s war on Ukraine, debate over Sofia’s support for Kyiv and drone attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea. The attacks have pushed maritime security and foreign policy into the campaign, according to [The Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/bulgaria-president-election-yotova-gyurov-678d47c9378fa70c426a15411690ae02) and [Deutsche Welle](https://amp.dw.com/en/bulgaria-concerns-about-security-in-the-black-sea-dominate-presidential-election-campaign/a-79729094). The two front-runners are incumbent Iliana Yotova, backed by the governing Progressive Bulgaria party, and former caretaker prime minister Andrey Gyurov, supported by pro-Western opposition groups. A Market Links poll of 1,006 people, fielded Oct. 13–19, put Yotova at 47.3% and Gyurov at 30.6%, with a 3-point margin of error, AP reported. It is a snapshot, not an election result. Bulgaria’s president has limited executive authority but commands the armed forces, can veto laws and represents the country abroad. The vote is therefore a test of the new governing bloc and a signal about voters’ views on Ukraine and Russia, though the president cannot reset national policy alone. Analysts expect a runoff on Nov. 1: a first-round winner needs a majority of votes and turnout above half of the 6.6 million registered voters. Actual turnout, the winner and any resulting policy shift remain unknown.