Polls open for presidential election in Bulgaria dominated by economic hardship and Ukraine war

Bulgarians are heading to the polls Sunday to elect their next president amid drone attacks on Black Sea shipping and growing economic hardships

Posters featuring independent presidential candidate Andrey Gyurov and his vice-presidential running mate, Georgi Kandev are displayed on screens during their campaign's closing event in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, on Oct. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova)

By Associated Press

Updated 46 minutes ago

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgarians are heading to the polls Sunday to elect their next president in a campaign centered on growing economic hardship and drone attacks on Black Sea shipping.

The vote will also be the first major test for the Moscow-friendly Progressive Bulgaria party of Prime Minister Rumen Radev after its election triumph in April.

Despite a record number of candidates, the race is expected to be decided in a runoff between incumbent President Iliana Yotova, backed by Radev’s party, and former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov, who is backed by pro-Western opposition parties.