Iliana Iotova becomes Bulgaria’s first female president

Bulgaria now has its first female president after the Constitutional Court ruled that the powers of President Rumen Radev are terminated early following the submission of his resignation. The court’s decision, taken unanimously by 12 judges, is final and comes into effect on 23 January 2026.

Under the Constitution, Vice President Iliana Iotova assumes the presidency for the remainder of the term, making her also the country’s commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Iotova is Bulgaria’s sixth head of state in the office's 33-year history.

A former journalist, Iotova was a prominent figure at Bulgarian National Television in the 1990s. She entered politics in 1997 by heading the press office of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and later became a party member and a member of the 40th National Assembly. From 2007 to 2017, she served as a Member of the European Parliament, focusing on counter-terrorism, the refugee crisis and Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen Area. She authored reports and legislative proposals on managing migration and actively contributed to debates on European security and civil liberties.

Iotova was elected vice president alongside Radev in 2016 and was re-elected in 2021. Over the past nine years, she has prioritised supporting Bulgarian communities abroad, preserving the Bulgarian Sunday schools, and promoting the study of the Bulgarian language.

Editor: Miglena Ivanova
Posted in English by E. Radkova