Bulgaria has a new president
For the first time in the history of Bulgaria, the post of head of state will be held by a woman. The current vice president Iliana Yotova is the new president of the country, after the Constitutional Court in Bulgaria terminated early the powers of the head of state Rumen Radev because of his submitted resignation.
According to the Bulgarian Constitution, the president embodies the unity of the nation and represents the Republic of Bulgaria in international relations.
Radev announced his decision on January 19 in an address to the Bulgarian people. His second term expires on January 21, 2027, and until then, according to the Constitution of Bulgaria, the functions of head of state will be performed by Iliana Yotova.
Iliana Yotova, who immediately assumes office as head of state, has been a journalist, member of parliament and MEP. She was head of the press center of the National Council of the BSP in the period 1997–2007, and since 2000 she has been a member of it. She was a member of the 40th Parliament of Bulgaria (from 2005–2007). At that time she was also chair of the Bulgarian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie and deputy chair of the parliamentary delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). She was an MEP in two consecutive European Parliaments (from 2007 to 2014), working on various topics, including the fight against terrorism, the protection of personal data, the refugee crisis, and Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen area. (23.01.2026)
