Bulgarians Vote in Presidential Race Focused on Black Sea Security

Bulgarians began voting Sunday in a presidential election expected to test the political standing of Prime Minister Rumen Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria party and the government’s handling of security concerns in the Black Sea. The outcome and whether the contest would require a runoff were not yet known. Incumbent President Iliana Yotova, backed by Progressive Bulgaria, is facing former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov, who is supported by pro-Western opposition parties. The campaign has focused on Russia’s war in Ukraine, drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea, and rising energy prices and inflation that have strained household budgets. Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. and were scheduled to close at 8 p.m. Preliminary results were expected Monday. None of the 27 candidates was expected to win outright, according to pre-election assessments. The president is elected by direct vote, and a candidate needs a majority to win. Turnout must exceed 50% for the first round to be valid; turnout below 40% was projected, which would mean a runoff on November 1. A Market Links poll conducted October 13-19 among 1,006 Bulgarians put Yotova at 47.3% and Gyurov at 30.6%,...