Iliyana Yotova names Kiril Valchev as vice-presidential candidate

Iliyana Yotova has officially announced Kiril Valchev, the Director General of the Bulgarian News Agency (BNA), as her running mate for the upcoming presidential election. Yotova, a former journalist, emphasized that Valchev’s legal background and experience in communicating with Bulgarian communities both domestically and abroad make him an ideal candidate. Valchev, who will take an unpaid leave of absence from BNA for the campaign, stated that he views the nomination as a recognition of the agency’s role as an institution of dialogue.

The announcement comes as the field of candidates for the election, referred to as ‘Dondukov 2’, continues to expand. Other notable contenders include physicist Lachezar Avramov and businessman Ivaylo Drazhev, as well as several other political figures and independent committees. Analysts have noted that the Yotova-Valchev ticket presents a balanced profile, though questions remain regarding their lack of direct military experience in a role that serves as Commander-in-Chief.