Bulgarians vote for president in shadow of Russia’s war in Ukraine

Bulgarians are voting in a presidential election against the backdrop of the spread of Russia's war on Ukraine to the waters off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast.

Key points

• Ahead of Sunday's vote, President Iliana Iotova, 61, and ex-caretaker Prime ⁠Minister Andrey Gyurov, 50, were leading a field of 27 candidates in the polls.
• Voting starts at 7am (05: 00 GMT), and polls close at 8pm (18: 00 GMT).
• Polls by Alpha Research offer Iotova 41 percent of the vote and ‌Gyurov ‌28 percent.
• Turnout must additionally be above 50 percent of the 6.6 million registered voters, and Sunday's turnout is anticipated to be less than 40 percent.
• Dobromir Zhivkov, managing director of the Market Links polling agency, remarked Iotova is among those who advocate that Bulgaria take a more neutral position.

For context, the election has additionally gained attention after a series of drone attacks on merchant ships off Bulgaria's coast that probable killed some two dozen international seafarers.

In practice, the drone strikes ‌sparked international condemnation and reservations concerning the growing reach of the war in Ukraine, prompting Bulgaria to seek allied assistance to bolster its maritime security.

Meanwhile, the Bulgarian administration has ceased short of explicitly blaming Russia for the attacks, but Prime Minister Rumen Radev noted the outcome of the strikes "benefits the Russian Federation". Relations with Russia, West at stake.

Notably, the two leading candidates for president have both condemned the strikes, but they differ on the broader war in Ukraine.

Gyurov, who served as caretaker prime minister this year, is backed by ⁠pro-Western, reformist parties and has long expressed backing for Ukraine. He ⁠signed a security cooperation agreement with Kyiv during his time as premier.

"I want Bulgaria to have a voice of its own in Europe, a reliable NATO ally that defends its interests through preparedness, strong diplomacy and ⁠a clear position, " he remarked at a rally on Thursday.

Iotova, a former vice president, became acting president in January after Radev resigned to ⁠enter the parliamentary race. It he won on what plenty of ⁠political analysts considered a Kremlin-friendly ticket.

Radev supports Iotova, and they both call for a diplomatic end to the war.

"My opponents argue that there must be ‌a war of attrition, " Iotova informed a rally on Thursday. "The truth is, we are all the ones who are most exhausted."

While there is a broad consensus among the parties in Parliament on the country's pro-Western path, widespread pro-Russian sentiments based on traditional historical and cultural ties with Russia have divided society, particularly since the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

"They call for an end to aid for Ukraine and a halt to arms deliveries to Ukraine; we often hear them use Kremlin rhetoric and terminology borrowed directly from Kremlin propaganda, " he informed The Associated Press news agency earlier this week.

Candidates are additionally addressing public fears concerning the steep rise in energy rates and surging inflation, with numerous Bulgarians in rural areas struggling to create ends meet.

Analysts expect none of the 27 candidates to secure the outright majority needed to win in the first round, nevertheless.

Turnout must additionally be above 50 percent of the 6.6 million registered voters, and Sunday's turnout is anticipated to be less than 40 percent. It means a probable run-off on November 1.

For now, bulgarians vote for president in shadow of Russia's war in Ukraine remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.