site.btaVice President Iotova Comments on Upcoming Presidential Elections, Current Topics

Vice President Iliana Iotova commented on the air of Nova TV on Sunday on the upcoming presidential elections in 2026, saying that decisions are still pending.

Iotova was flattered at a statement by Bulgarian Socialist party (BSP) Deputy Chair Kaloyan Pargov, who said that if she ran for president, they would support her, as to her this is evidence of a job well done during her time as Vice President. In response to a question about whether Bulgaria is ready for a female president, Iotova said: “If you ask me, yes, we Bulgarian women are very strong and tough, and well prepared.”

When asked if she has the support of President Radev, Iotova said that they had not discussed the issue because they currently have another major task, ensuring statehood. “Guaranteeing statehood is not only a pledge we made during our first election campaign in 2016, but also a response to the many challenges we face every day,” she stressed.

In response to a question how she views the participation of the BSP in the government and whether she sees them as a crutch, Iotova said that the President had given an excessive amount of time for the current government to be formed and for all differences to be ironed out and conditions and interests to be reconciled. She argued that BSP representatives in the government are doing their job, but the bad thing is that, overall, the government is not fulfilling the people's hopes. “It has an overly vague image, is unprincipled at times, colorless, and this probably comes from the very model of this coalition,” she added.

People clearly see the dividing line between the real fight against corruption and the use of institutions to exert pressure, she commented on the opposition protests over the arrest of Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev, linking his arrest to “a political weapon used by Delyan Peevski.” She argued that the protests are justified. 

Asked if she thinks there is a need for a new political project on the left, Iotova said she does not think so, and when asked if she thinks President Radev should create his own political formation, Iotova replied that it is up to him to decide. “This will happen according to the will of the people, not behind the scenes, as we see happening in many formations,” she added.

When asked if she was concerned that Bulgaria would introduce the euro on January 1, 2026, Iotova confirmed her concerns, explaining that she sees that “they are not coping. They are not even coping at the minimum level, unlike other countries.”

The Vice President also commented on the agreement with BOTAS and whether the presidential institution should be criticized in connection with it. “There must be checks, and if there needs to be an investigation, let there be an investigation, because this is an extremely important strategic agreement for the country. The President negotiated access to Turkish terminals with his Turkish counterpart, but why and how the agreement was signed is up to those who signed it,” Iotova added. According to her, the biggest problem is that the capacities of this agreement have not been used and continue to remain unused.