Presidentials in Bulgaria marked by economic difficulties and war

Obulgarians went to the polls to elect the next president, in a campaign focused on the growing economic difficulties and drone attacks against vessels in the Black Sea.

The vote will also serve as the first major test for the “Progressive Bulgaria” party, aligned with Moscow and supported by Prime Minister Rumen Radev, after the triumph in the April parliamentary elections.

Despite a record number of candidates, the dispute is expected to be decided in a second round between the current president, Iliana Yotova (supported by Radev's party), and former interim Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov (supported by the pro-Western opposition parties).

The campaign focused heavily on the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the extension of hostilities in the Black Sea, where the recent drone attacks on commercial vessels off the Bulgarian coast raised concerns about security in the country, which is a member of the European Union and NATO.

The attacks caused fears about Russia's intentions to scale the conflict, leading the government to ask for assistance from its partners to strengthen maritime security.

The candidates also sought to address the anxiety of the population in the face of rising energy and inflation prices, in a scenario where many families, especially in rural areas, face difficulties to bear their basic expenditure.

The voting tables opened at 07:00 (05:00 in Lisbon) and will close at 20:00 (18:00 in Lisbon). Soon after the closure, the first polls will be released at the mouth of the polls and the expectation is that the preliminary results will be known on Monday.

It is likely that the election will proceed for a second round, since none of the 27 candidates will guarantee victory today.

The participation rate needs to exceed 50% of the total of 6.6 million registered voters, and the winner has to get the majority of votes.

The estimate of participation for today is less than 40%, which would indicate a second round on November 1.