Iliana Iotova – from journalist to President

Bulgaria has its first female president: Iliana Iotova. This historic milestone came after former head of state Rumen Radev resigned to run in upcoming snap parliamentary elections. The 61-year-old Iotova, previously vice president, assumed the presidency for the remainder of the term, which officially ends in January 2027.

Iotova is widely expected to enter the presidential race this autumn, though she has not yet made a formal announcement or revealed which political forces might back her candidacy. Her nomination will likely come via an initiative committee, as in the past, to broaden party and public support. Radev’s departure allows her to lead the presidency while simultaneously campaigning, giving her a notable edge over other potential contenders – though, nine months out, no other candidates have emerged.

Responsibility for fair elections rests with her

As president, Iotova must appoint the seventh caretaker government since 2021 and schedule the snap parliamentary elections for spring. Speculation suggests Radev had already selected the prime minister-designate, leaving her to formally approve the choice. The composition of this interim cabinet draws intense public scrutiny, as it bears primary responsibility for ensuring free and fair elections.

Bulgaria’s electoral process has long been plagued by practices that erode public trust: vote-buying, corporate and administrative pressure, controlled media, local power dependencies, and weak institutional oversight. The introduction of machine voting significantly reduced invalid ballots, but systemic vulnerabilities persist. While elections formally comply with the law, the environment in which citizens cast their votes is often distorted, and violations rarely result in meaningful consequences for those orchestrating vote-trading schemes.

Under the Bulgarian Constitution, Iotova must choose a caretaker prime minister from among ten designated senior officials from state administration and oversight bodies. With one exception – Andrey Gyurov, deputy governor of the Bulgarian National Bank – the rest represent figures tied to GERB and DPS-New Beginning, or more precisely to their leaders, Boyko Borissov and oligarch Delyan Peevski (sanctioned for corruption by the US and UK). It was precisely against this model of state capture that massive December protests erupted, ultimately forcing the government’s resignation.

Her political journey began on the left

Iliana Iotova’s path into politics predates her rise to the highest office and is deeply intertwined with the Bulgarian left’s struggles and crises during the post-communist transition.

Her career took off in one of the Bulgarian Socialist Party’s (BSP) darkest periods: 1997. That January, a socialist government plunged the country into catastrophe through grain-export speculation scandals, a wave of bank failures, hyperinflation, and mass protests. The subsequent elections, which ushered in a currency board, slashed the BSP’s parliamentary seats by more than half.

Iotova, who has never hidden her leftist convictions, left her job as a reporter and anchor for the central news bulletin at public broadcaster BNT to head the BSP press center. She was invited by the party’s new leader, Georgi Parvanov, who later served two terms as president.

“I will always remain a leftist, and I will never forget who extended a hand to me or where I started,” she has said.

She led the BSP press office for several years and served as a Member of Parliament for the left from 2005 to 2007, during the so-called triple coalition government – a compromise between the BSP, the liberal DPS, and the “royal” NDSV party – formed to secure Bulgaria’s EU accession.

Her career then shifted to the European Parliament, where she was among Bulgaria’s first MEPs (2007–2017). As part of the Socialists and Democrats group, she focused on counter-terrorism, the migration crisis, and Bulgaria’s Schengen accession. She consistently advocated strict external EU border controls and distinguishing refugees from economic migrants outside the Union.

In the middle of her third MEP term, she was selected as vice-presidential running mate to Rumen Radev. In that role, she prioritized engagement with Bulgarian communities abroad, arguing that with over three million Bulgarians living outside the country, “we have no right to squander that potential.”

Iotova has regularly participated in events of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) and, as vice president in 2023, served as patron of celebrations marking 30 years of Bulgaria’s membership. She frequently highlights the “incomparable opportunities” for cultural, diplomatic, and civilizational cooperation offered by la Francophonie.

Soft style, firm positions

In foreign policy, Iotova can be described as a politician who adheres to the principle that “Bulgaria should not burn bridges to the East, even when the West does” – yet she has avoided overt anti-European rhetoric. She has argued that the EU must extract its relations with Russia from deadlock. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, she echoed Radev’s position in a softer form, questioning military aid to Kyiv.

In an August 2024 comment on the conflict, she stated that “Europe must take a leadership role in resolving it through peace negotiations and Ukraine’s reconstruction.” She views the war as underscoring the urgent need for an independent EU defence policy in partnership with NATO.

For Iliana Iotova, the key challenge now is whether she can convert her accumulated experience and diplomatic nuance into tangible political capital. The months ahead – especially how she wields presidential authority in the interim – will reveal whether she can transform this historic opportunity into lasting influence.

Caption: Iliana Iotova re-enters the Presidency carrying the bouquet presented by Rumen Radev, who departed the building after the Constitutional Court approved his resignation on 23 January 2025. [Website of the President of Bulgaria]

Updated: January 26, 2026 - 14:52