Iotova Wins Bulgaria’s Presidential Election With 57.6 Percent, 491 Bulgarian Citizens Voted in North Macedonia
Iliana Iotova is the first woman directly elected president of Bulgaria. North Macedonia watches closely because of the veto on its negotiations.
Skopje – In Sofia the numbers are clear, in Skopje the question is different: what does it mean for the negotiations. Iliana Iotova won Bulgaria’s presidential election in the second round on November 1, with about 57.6 percent of the votes. Her opponent Andrey Gurov took about 39.5 percent, and turnout was low, about 28 percent. Iotova is the first woman directly elected to the post.
The least noticed part of the election is the votes from North Macedonia. 491 Bulgarian citizens voted in the country, at seven polling stations in Skopje, Bitola, Ohrid, Strumica, Kavadarci, Kocani and Prilep. The Iotova–Valchev ticket won 51.49 percent, the Gurov–Kandev ticket 43.8 percent, and 4.7 percent chose the “I do not support anyone” option.
By the editorial calculation, that is about 253 votes for Iotova, about 215 for Gurov and about 23 for no one. The average is about 70 voters per polling station. Turnout, however, is the highest at a Bulgarian election in North Macedonia since 2022.
Iotova already has a public position on neighbouring North Macedonia. In July 2023, then as vice president, she said Skopje should face no new requirements, but North Macedonia should honour its existing commitments. On June 21, 2026, as president, she voiced serious doubts that the current leadership in North Macedonia wants EU membership.
What can a president do? Bulgaria is a parliamentary republic, and the president has a mainly representative role. Foreign policy is run by the government and the National Assembly, so the election alone does not change Bulgaria’s position towards North Macedonia, but it sets the tone and the symbolism. The term is five years.
The condition for negotiations has not changed. “No attempts were made to adopt the relevant constitutional changes referred to in the Council Conclusions of 18 July 2022,” the European Commission’s report on North Macedonia says. The changes concern citizens who are part of other peoples, “such as Bulgarians”.
Such changes need 80 of 120 MPs in the Assembly. That means that, however mild or sharp the tone from Sofia, the road to opening the negotiations runs through the parliament hall in Skopje, not through the presidential office in Sofia.
There is no official reaction from Skopje to Iotova’s election so far. It is unclear whether the new mandate will bring a change in tone, or how the next Bulgarian government will act, since its position is key for the veto. The first signal will be Iotova’s first statement on North Macedonia in the new mandate.
MKNews Hub · Macedonia · November 6, 2026
