Iliana Iotova wins Bulgarian presidential runoff with 57.5% of vote

Iliana Iotova secured the presidency in Bulgaria's runoff election, receiving 57.5% of the ballots while rival Andrey Gyurov obtained 39.5%. Voter turnout rose to roughly 28% compared with the first round in late October. The vote took place amid heightened security concerns after recent drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea, which have left dozens dead or missing. Iotova, who has been acting president since January, becomes the country's first elected female head of state and has pledged to maintain Bulgaria’s EU and NATO commitments while favouring dialogue with Moscow.