Vice President Iliyana Yotova is set to become Bulgaria’s first woman head of state after President Rumen Radev announced that he will submit his resignation on January 20, marking the end of his mandate. In an extraordinary address to the nation, Radev confirmed that this was his final speech as president and expressed confidence that Yotova would assume the role with dignity and responsibility.

“I am convinced that Iliyana Yotova will be a worthy head of state,” Radev said, underlining that during their nine years together they had proven they could work “effectively, in sync and united by a common goal.”

Yotova’s accession to the presidency follows nearly a decade as vice president, serving two full terms alongside Radev. Her appointment represents a historic moment, as she will be the first woman to lead the Bulgarian presidency from Dondukov 2.

Her professional path began in journalism. A graduate of the 9th French Language School in Sofia and Bulgarian Philology at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski,” Yotova later specialized in European studies at France’s National School of Administration in Strasbourg. Between 1990 and 1997, she worked at Bulgarian National Television as a reporter, editor, presenter and eventually director of the “News and Current Affairs” department.

Her transition into politics came through the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), where she played a central role for more than a decade. From 1997 to 2007, she headed the BSP press center, shaping the party’s public communication during a turbulent political period. She also served as a member of parliament in the 40th National Assembly between 2005 and 2007.

Yotova’s political career then moved onto the European stage. From 2007 to 2017, she represented Bulgaria in the European Parliament as a member of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats. During her first mandate, she served on the Committees on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection and on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. In subsequent terms, she took on senior responsibilities, including vice-chair positions in committees dealing with organized crime, corruption and money laundering, and in delegations focusing on EU relations with Moldova and the wider Black Sea region.

She was also active in committees on fisheries, petitions, employment and social affairs, regional development, and women’s rights and gender equality. Among her legislative contributions, Yotova authored the European Parliament’s first report on the Black Sea and its fisheries, as well as the first report on cohesion policy in mountainous regions. Her work focused on issues such as counter-terrorism, data protection, migration, the refugee crisis and Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen. She is also credited with reports and legislative proposals aimed at managing migration pressures at the EU level.

Within the BSP, Yotova held a number of senior party roles. She was a member of the party’s National Council from 2000 to 2016, deputy chair of the BSP Sofia City Council between 2006 and 2012, and a member of the party’s Executive Bureau from 2012 until 2016.

As vice president since 2017, Yotova has been a constant presence alongside Radev during a period marked by political instability, repeated elections and institutional crises. In his farewell address, Radev emphasized that their joint work demonstrated institutional continuity and coordination, saying that together they had defended statehood and public interest in difficult circumstances.

Yotova is fluent in French and uses Russian and English. She is married and has one son.

With Radev’s resignation submitted to the Constitutional Court, the Constitution provides that the vice president assumes the presidency until the end of the term. This makes Iliyana Yotova not only the next head of state, but also a symbolic figure, breaking a historical barrier as the first woman to hold Bulgaria’s highest office at a time of deep political transformation.