Bulgaria, presidential election amid economic difficulties... The first test of the pro-Russian ruling party

(Istanbul = Yonhap News) Correspondent Kim Dong-ho = Bulgaria will hold a presidential election on the 25th (local time) amidst various negative factors such as deepening economic difficulties and the Black Sea crisis caused by the intensification of the war between Russia and Ukraine.

According to AP and AFP, the most likely candidate in this year's Bulgarian presidential election is incumbent President Ilyana Jotova (62), who is supported by the ruling Progressive Bulgarian Party (PB).

Former Prime Minister Andrei Gyurov (51), pushed by the pro-Western opposition parties, and Kostadin Kostadinov (47), who leads the pro-Russian far-right Revival Party, also filed challenges.

Voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on this day. Exit poll results will be released immediately after voting ends, but preliminary results are expected to be announced on the 26th. If no candidate receives a majority of votes in the first round of voting on this day, a runoff election will be held on the 1st of next month.

The AP pointed out that this presidential election is expected to be the first important test for Prime Minister Rumen Radev, who came to power with the victory of PB last April.

Recently, as the battle between Russia and Ukraine has intensified, the number of cases of commercial ships of coastal countries such as Bulgaria being attacked by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, drones) in the Black Sea have increased, leading to heightened security concerns about Bulgaria, a member of the Western military alliance, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Measures to resolve rising energy prices and inflation problems also emerged as a major agenda for the election campaign.

Prime Minister Radev is considered pro-Russian, having repeatedly expressed opposition to the European Union's sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine. President Yotova also opposes military aid to Ukraine and advocates negotiations with Russia.

In fact, President Yotova, the ruling party candidate, was vice president when Prime Minister Radev served as president, and took over the presidency when Radev began running for general elections in January of this year. If she wins this election, she will become the first elected female president in Bulgarian history.