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Iliana Iotova

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Her Excellency
Iliana Iotova
Илияна Йотова
Official presidential portrait of Iotova smiling and wearing a white shirt and a blue suit jacket.
Official portrait, 2026
President of Bulgaria
Incumbent
Assumed office
23 January 2026
Prime MinisterRosen Zhelyazkov
Vice PresidentVacant
Preceded byRumen Radev
Vice President of Bulgaria
In office
22 January 2017 – 23 January 2026
PresidentRumen Radev
Preceded byMargarita Popova
Succeeded byVacant
Member of the European Parliament
for Bulgaria
In office
6 June 2007 – 16 January 2017
Preceded byNew office
Succeeded byPetar Kurumbashev
Member of the National Assembly
In office
18 August 2005 – 20 May 2007
Constituency24th MMC – Sofia
Personal details
BornIliana Malinova Iotova
(1964-10-24) 24 October 1964 (age 61)
Sofia, PR Bulgaria
PartyBSP (since 1997)
Spouse
Andrey Iotov
​
(m. 1985)​
Children1
EducationLycée Français de Sofia
Alma materSofia University
École nationale d'administration
University of Strasbourg
Occupation
  • Politician
  • journalist

Iliana Iotova[a] (née Malinova; born 24 October 1964) is a Bulgarian politician and journalist who has served as the president of Bulgaria since 23 January 2026. She is the first woman to hold the position. A member of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), Iotova previously served as the vice president under Rumen Radev from 2017 to 2026.

Early life

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Iliana Malinova Iotova was born in Sofia, People's Republic of Bulgaria on 24 October 1964.[2][3] She studied in the Lycée Français de Sofia.[4][3] She received a degree in Bulgarian and French philology from the University of Sofia and later specialized at the École nationale d'administration (ENA, National School of Administration) in Strasbourg, France, and the Center for European Studies (CEES) of the University of Strasbourg.[3]

In the 1980s, Malinova worked as a nurse at the First Hospital of Sofia St John the Baptist.[5] From 1990 to 1997, she worked at Bulgarian National Television as a reporter, editor, director, presenter of news and current affairs programmes and also became head of the News and Current Affairs Directorate.[4][6][3] She then worked as the director of the press service of the Bulgarian Socialist Party in 1997.[7][6][3]

Political career

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Iotova during a debate on the Schengen area, 19 April 2016

In the 2005 national elections, Iotova was elected to the National Assembly, an office she held until 2007.[6][3] During her term, she headed the Bulgarian delegation to the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie and member of the delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.[3]

Member of the European Parliament (2007–17)

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Iotova became a Member of the European Parliament in 2007 and was re-elected in 2014.[8] There she was part of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats group.[8][3]

In parliament, Iotova served on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (2007–09), the Committee on Fisheries (2009–14), and the Committee on Petitions (2009–14).[2] From 2012 until 2013, she was also a member of the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption and Money Laundering. From the 2014 elections, she served as vice-chairwoman of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, under the leadership of chairman Claude Moraes.[4][2] In this capacity, she was her parliamentary group's rapporteur on a 2015 report calling for the equitable distribution of 40,000 refugees across the European Union.[9]

In addition to her committee assignments, Iotova served as chairwoman of the parliament's delegation to the EU-Montenegro Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee and as member of the delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean.[10] She was also a member of the European Parliament Intergroup on Integrity (Transparency, Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime).[11]

Vice President of Bulgaria (2017–2026)

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Iotova between President Radev and European Comission President Jean-Claude Juncker in Sofia, 12 January 2018

Ahead of Bulgaria's 2016 presidential elections, Iotova was officially nominated as the Bulgarian Socialist Party's running mate for presidential candidate Rumen Radev. After her election to the Vice Presidency, she resigned her MEP seat.[12] As Vice President, Iotova focused on relations with Bulgarian communities abroad and on promoting Bulgarian education and language.[6] They both were sworn in on 19 January 2017 and began their office on 22 January.[13][14]

On 1 February 2021, President Radev officially announced that he and Iliana Iotova would run for a second term in the 2021 general election.[15] In the second round, held on 21 November, Rumen Radev defeated Gerdjikov with 66% of the vote, thus securing a second term in office for Iotova as well.[16] She was sworn in on 19 January 2022 and her term officially began on 22 January.[3]

On 21 March 2024, Iotova participated in an educational forum in Lisbon, which she sponsored, and in which she called for the need to create a Bulgarian cultural institution abroad to promote Bulgarian culture and language internationally.[17]

President of Bulgaria (2026–present)

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During an address to the nation on 19 January 2026, the then-president Rumen Radev announced his intention to resign.[18] The following day, Radev submitted his resignation as President to the Constitutional Court.[19] Three days later on 23 January, the Constitutional Court formally accepted Radev's resignation, thus ending his tenure as President of Bulgaria.[20] Shortly after the ruling, Radev left the "Dondukov 2" palace together with Iotova, the new President, and addressed supporters, promising a unified struggle at the upcoming legislative elections.[21] Iliana Iotova officially became Bulgaria's first female president on 23 January 2026, ahead of the planned snap election to complete Radev's presidential term.[3][14]

Personal life

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Aside from her native Bulgarian, she is fluent in French and speaks Russian and English.[3] Iotova married Andrey Iotov, a doctor she met at the First Hospital of Sofia St. John the Baptist in 1985. They have one child.[5][3]

Notes

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  1. ^ Bulgarian: Илияна Малинова Йотова, pronounced [iliˈjanɐ mɐ'linovɐ 'jotovɐ]. Sometimes spelled as Iliyana Malinova Yotova[1] as per the country's official romanization.

References

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  1. ^ "Who Is Iliyana Yotova: Bulgaria's First Female President". Archived from the original on 21 January 2026. Retrieved 25 January 2026.,
  2. ^ a b c "Iliana IOTOVA – 8th parliamentary term". European Parliament. 24 October 1964.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Karagyozov, Konstantin; Trifonov, Nikolay (23 January 2026). "UPDATED Iliana Iotova Becomes Bulgaria's President after Constitutional Court Ruling". Bulgarian News Agency. Archived from the original on 24 January 2026. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  4. ^ a b c "Iliana Iotova". Archived from the original on 31 December 2025. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  5. ^ a b "Първият джентълмен на България: Кой е съпругът на президента Илияна Йотова" [The First Gentleman of Bulgaria: Who is the husband of President Iliana Yotova?]. Vesti.bg [bg] (in Bulgarian). Netinfo. 23 January 2026. Archived from the original on 23 January 2026. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  6. ^ a b c d "Iliana Iotova becomes Bulgaria's first female president". Bulgarian National Radio. 23 January 2026. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  7. ^ "Профил на Илиана Йотова" (in Bulgarian). personi.dir.bg. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  8. ^ a b "Key speakers | European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights". fra.europa.eu. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  9. ^ "Refugee crush overwhelms EU Dublin rule". Euronews. 10 September 2015. Archived from the original on 14 April 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  10. ^ "Bulgaria's President Rumen Radev says he will resign ahead of snap election". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 19 January 2026. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  11. ^ "Intergroup "Integrity, Transparency, Anti-Corruption and Organised Crime": List of the Members" (PDF). European Parliament. 12 November 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  12. ^ "Sendoff for Radev as Yotova becomes Bulgaria's first woman President". The Sofia Globe. 23 January 2026. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  13. ^ "New Bulgarian president takes oath of office". Associated Press. 19 January 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  14. ^ a b "Officially: Iliana Yotova Becomes Bulgaria's First Female President as Rumen Radev Steps Down". Sofia News Agency. 23 January 2026. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  15. ^ "Bulgarian President Radev Announces Pitch for Second Term". balkaninsight.com. Balkan Inside. February 2021. Archived from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  16. ^ Телевизия, Нова (21 November 2021). "Паралелно преброяване при 100%: Радев печели балотажа в битката за "Дондуков 2"". nova (in Bulgarian). Archived from the original on 3 September 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2025.
  17. ^ "Iliana Iotova: "Sunday schools are the most visible result of the policy for Bulgarians abroad"". Bulgarian National Radio. 21 March 2024. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  18. ^ "На живо: Радев подаде оставка като президент, отива на изборите (видео)". offnews.bg (in Bulgarian). 19 January 2026. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  19. ^ "Радев официално подаде оставка пред Конституционния съд". offnews.bg (in Bulgarian). 20 January 2026. Archived from the original on 21 January 2026. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  20. ^ "Румен Радев вече не е президент, държаве глава е Илиана Йотова". 24Chasa.bg (in Bulgarian). 23 January 2026. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  21. ^ "Много сме, не могат да спрат вълната". Радев напусна президентството, Йотова е първата жена държавен глава". mediapool.bg (in Bulgarian). 23 January 2026. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
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