site.btaUPDATED Iliana Iotova Becomes Bulgaria’s President after Constitutional Court Ruling

Vice President Iliana Iotova has become Bulgaria’s new President after the Constitutional Court ruled on Thursday that the mandate of head of State Rumen Radev has been terminated early following his resignation.

Iotova is the first woman in Bulgaria’s history to assume the office of President.

Under the Constitution, when the powers of the head of State are terminated, the Vice President assumes the presidency for the remainder of the term.

On January 19, in an address to the Bulgarian people, Rumen Radev announced that he would submit his resignation. A day later, he tendered his resignation to the Constitutional Court. Radev is the only Bulgarian president so far to have left office before the expiry of his term.

Earlier on January 23, the Constitutional Court has ruled that the powers of Rumen Radev as President are to be terminated. The decision is final and takes effect immediately. It was adopted unanimously by the twelve judges who participated in the sitting.

Rumen Radev and Iliana Iotova took the oath of office before the National Assembly for their second five-year term on January 19, 2022. They officially assumed office on January 22, 2022.

Who is Iliana Iotova

Iliana Iotova was born on October 24, 1964, according to information published on the website of the Presidency. She graduated from the French Language School Alphonse de Lamartine No 9 and holds a degree in Bulgarian Philology from St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia. She specialized at France’s National School of Administration (ENA – Ecole nationale d'administration) and at the Centre for European Studies in Strasbourg (Centre des Etudes Europeennes de Strasbourg).

Between 1990 and 1997, she worked at Bulgarian National Television as a reporter, editor, programme host and Head of the News and Current Affairs Directorate.

From 1997 to 2007, Iotova headed the press centre of the National Council of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP). She was a member of the BSP National Council from 2000 to 2016. In January 2006, she was elected Deputy Chair of the Sofia City Council of the BSP, a position she held until 2012. In 2012, she became a member of the Executive Bureau of the BSP National Council, where she served until 2016.

Iotova was a Member of Parliament in the 40th National Assembly from 2005 to 2007. During that period, she also served as Chair of the Bulgarian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie and as Deputy Chair of the Bulgarian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

From June 2007, Iotova served as a Member of the European Parliament from the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats.

Iotova is fluent in French and has a working knowledge of Russian and English. She is married and has one son.