Gyurov Says Bulgaria Must Unite as He Accepts Presidential Election Defeat

Presidential candidate Andrey Gyurov said after losing the runoff that Bulgarian society must seek unity rather than division, while stressing that his political responsibility would continue beyond the end of the campaign.

Gyurov thanked the citizens who voted, including those who supported other candidates, as well as his family, vice-presidential running mate Georgi Kandev, the initiative committee and the political parties that backed their ticket. He also congratulated the winners of the election.

Addressing supporters who might be disappointed by the result, he said he believed their efforts had not been wasted and that the best was yet to come. "We have created a truly good platform that can be built upon," Gyurov said.

He stressed that the end of the campaign did not mean an end to their responsibilities. "We must hold the state accountable, because it ought to work for the Bulgarian citizens," he said.

Gyurov acknowledged that he had not anticipated such a wide margin and said his team would first examine the data before conducting its own analysis. He accepted the outcome despite the differences between exit polls and parallel vote counts, adding that the campaign's initial objective of expanding their support had been achieved.

"This is how the Bulgarian citizens have voted," he said, emphasizing that the results had to be accepted as they stood.

Asked by NOVA whether the gap between him and Iliana Yotova amounted to a failure, Gyurov said it was too early to draw conclusions before reviewing the figures. He added that his team had not yet considered what would happen after the election and that the immediate priority was to analyze the results.

He attributed the defeat to his campaign's failure to set the agenda around the issues raised during meetings with citizens. Nevertheless, he said the campaign had achieved its aim of offering an alternative for Bulgaria, with the first-round results demonstrating that it had succeeded in reaching a broader audience.

Gyurov also rejected the idea that his discussions with political leaders had focused on securing their support. He said the conversations had concerned shared objectives and the campaign itself, rather than political alliances. Asked about his future political plans ahead of the upcoming local elections, he reiterated that his approach was based on common values.

He identified the goals of his political work as building a strong Bulgaria and a dignified state where people could feel secure about their children's future. He warned that the country faced numerous challenges and difficult times ahead, making cooperation around shared objectives particularly important.

Speaking at a briefing after the polls closed, Gyurov also marked the Day of the Bulgarian Enlighteners, greeting those who had helped preserve Bulgarian identity through their dedication to the country's spirit and culture.

Kandev thanked the voters and everyone who had supported their presidential ticket. He said that during the month and a half spent traveling across Bulgaria, the candidates had held numerous meetings and encountered people's hopes, aspirations and everyday difficulties.

"The struggle does not end with this election," Kandev said, congratulating the winners and urging citizens to remain vigilant and check whether the promises made during the campaign were fulfilled. He ended his remarks with a prayer for Bulgaria.

The latest parallel vote counts from polling agencies Trend and Myara showed Yotova and her running mate Kiril Valchev ahead of Gyurov and Kandev by nearly 20 percentage points. With the full samples processed, Trend put the winning ticket at 58.1%, against 38.9% for Gyurov and Kandev. Myara reported 58.2% for Yotova and Valchev and 38.6% for their opponents. The share of voters who selected the "I do not support anyone" option stood at 3% in Trend's count and 3.2% in Myara's.

Alpha Research's 100% parallel count put Yotova at 57.4% and Gyurov at 39.6%.