Iliana Yotova became the first woman to be elected president in the history of Bulgaria. She will lead the country for the next five years.
Modern.az reports that she was born on October 24, 1964, in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Yotova, who received higher education in Bulgarian philology, began her professional career as a journalist. Yotova received her higher education in Bulgarian philology, not journalism. She worked professionally in journalism for many years. After working in various positions at the Bulgarian national television, she entered politics.
Yotova was a Member of the European Parliament from 2007–2017 and Vice President of Bulgaria from 2017–2026. After Rumen Radev's resignation in January 2026, Yotova, who began to serve as president, won the elections held on November 1 and became the country's first elected female president.
She was close to the political line of the Bulgarian Socialist Party. The president advocates for improving relations with Russia and resolving the Ukrainian war through diplomatic negotiations.
Her opposition to providing additional military aid to Ukraine is one of the striking features of her political position.
She is married and has one son.
