Bulgaria has made history by appointing a woman as head of state for the first time. Iliana Yotova, the current vice president, has become the new president following the Constitutional Court’s decision to terminate the powers of head of state Rumen Radev due to his resignation.
Per the Bulgarian Constitution, the president represents the unity of the nation and is the face of Bulgaria in international affairs.
Radev announced his resignation in a public address on January 19. His second term was set to end on January 21, 2027, but until that date, Iliana Yotova will fulfill the duties of the head of state as outlined in the Bulgarian Constitution.
Iliana Yotova, who takes office immediately, has a diverse background as a journalist, parliament member, and MEP. She served as head of the press center for the National Council of the BSP from 1997 to 2007 and has been a member since 2000. Yotova was part of the 40th Parliament of Bulgaria from 2005 to 2007, during which she chaired the Bulgarian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie and was deputy chair of the parliamentary delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). She also served as an MEP between 2007 and 2014, focusing on issues such as terrorism, data protection, the refugee crisis, and Bulgaria’s Schengen accession. (23.01.2026)
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