On January 23, the Constitutional Court of Bulgaria officially transferred presidential powers to Iliana Yotova following the voluntary resignation of Rumen Radev. She became the first female head of state in the country’s history.
According to Novinite, the Constitutional Court unanimously accepted Radev’s resignation. The judges confirmed that the president’s decision was voluntary and did not require further investigation, as it was not an impeachment case.
The official transfer of power took place today. At 16:00, Rumen Radev ceremonially left the presidential residence through the formal entrance, at which point the powers automatically passed to Iliana Yotova.
The new president does not need to take the oath again, as she already did so in 2021 when she assumed office as vice president.
Former Air Force Commander Rumen Radev led the country for nine years. He became the first president in Bulgaria’s democratic history to leave office early.
Radev is expected to soon announce the launch of his own political project in preparation for early parliamentary elections scheduled for this fall.
Iliana Yotova began her public career in the media as a journalist before joining the Bulgarian Socialist Party.
Since 2017, Yotova has been Radev’s constant partner as vice president. Her experience in international politics and deep knowledge of European institutions made her a key figure in the presidential administration.
