Bulgaria elects Iliana Iotova as its first woman president

The Central Election Commission confirmed her win over Gyurov in the November 1 runoff, with all 15 members voting in favour.

Bulgaria's Central Election Commission officially declared Iliana Iotova and Kiril Valchev elected president and vice president after the November 1 runoff. Iotova becomes the country's seventh president since the post was created, Radio Bulgaria reports. She is also, the broadcaster notes, the first woman elected to the job.

The Kyiv Independent writes that Iotova's victory strengthens the Ukraine-skeptic foreign policy of President Rumen Radev, her predecessor. Iotova opposes military aid for Ukraine and calls for dialogue with Moscow. She declared her win after initial projections showed her in the lead, saying her message had centred around "incomes, peace, and the challenges that lie ahead."

The Central Election Commission approved its decision unanimously, with all 15 members voting in favour and none against.

Iotova promised to work for national consensus by bridging the country's political rifts. Her rival, Gyurov, conceded, saying he accepted the result with respect for the decision of Bulgarian citizens. He warned that when all institutions are in one pair of hands, civil conscience and activity are the last barrier against absolute power.

Brussels, meanwhile, kept Bulgaria in the count. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, congratulated Iotova on November 1. "From security and defense to our competitiveness and energy independence, I look forward to continuing our joint work. For a strong Bulgaria in a strong Europe," she wrote.