Radev has repeatedly said he would comply with Bulgaria’s European obligations but has called for better relations with Russia and called for lifting sanctions against Russia, arguing that “being pro-European does not mean being anti-Russian.”

A recent poll by Gallup International Balkan suggests the presidential election will go to a second round, with Tsacheva facing Radev. Exit polls by Alpha Research and Gallup International showed Radev winning 24.8-26.7 per cent of the vote in which 20 other candidates also competed. Opinion polls show ruling party candidate Tsetska Tsacheva, 58, is likely to narrowly win the ballot but lose a subsequent runoff to Rumen Radev, 53, a Socialist Party ally who wants to end European Union sanctions against Moscow. Most political analysts said Radev's likely victory in the runoff poses a threat for Prime Minister Borisov and his ruling GERB party, possibly prompting early general elections next spring that could shake up Bulgaria's political scene.
Voters in Bulgaria go to the polls for a presidential election, with exit polls showing no candidate receiving the majority necessary to win outright, and Rumen Radev and Tsetska Tsacheva likely to face one another in a run-off on 13 November.