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Bulgarians vote for president amid energy costs and Black Sea drone strikes
The Associated Press reported Sunday that Bulgarians went to the polls to choose a president, with a runoff likely after a campaign focused on inflation and drone attacks on Black Sea shipping.
Based on reporting by AP
Bulgarians voted Sunday for a new president after a campaign that, according to The Associated Press, turned on rising household costs and drone strikes on commercial ships in the Black Sea1.
AP said the contest is also an early national test for Prime Minister Rumen Radev's Progressive Bulgaria party, which won parliamentary elections in April and is described in the report as Moscow-friendly1.
Despite a record 27 candidates, AP said the race was expected to narrow to a runoff between incumbent President Iliana Yotova, backed by Radev's party, and former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov, backed by pro-Western opposition parties1.
Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. local time and were due to close at 8 p.m., with initial exit polls afterward and preliminary results on Monday, AP reported1. A winner needs a majority, and turnout must exceed 50% of 6.6 million registered voters; AP said Sunday turnout was projected below 40%, which would send the race to a Nov. 1 runoff1.
