Balgarianovinite.com Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB) Chairman Radan Kanev said President Iliana Iotova’s presidential bid was intended to leave the government without a check for the next nearly four years.
Kanev said Iotova’s decision to run had come as no surprise because it had long been expected. “She has merely confirmed that she will continue Rumen Radev’s policies,” he told Bulgarian National Radio on Sunday.
Iotova announced in a televised interview on July 24 that she would run in the November presidential election. Her candidacy will be put forward by a nomination committee. She served as vice president under Radev until he stepped down to run in the April 19 parliamentary elections.
Kanev said Iotova’s message was almost identical to the government’s. Based on what he had heard, he had no doubt that the purpose of her candidacy was to leave the government without a check for the next nearly four years.
The DSB leader said the opposition’s task was to prevent what he described as a dangerous concentration of power. From that perspective, the opposition faces a more difficult task than the incumbent President, he added. He also suggested that the powerholders would field one or two more presidential candidates to play a supporting role in the main candidate’s campaign.
Kanev said he saw broad public expectations, extending well beyond supporters of the opposition Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria, for Andrey Gurov to become the candidate who could unite the alternative to what he called Rumen Radev’s “absolute rule”.
The DSB leader called Gurov “a very successful prime minister for a short time”. He was caretaker prime minister between February 19 and May 8, 2026. The caretaker cabinet was dissolved after former President Radev became Prime Minister.
According to Kanev, tactical questions such as when to announce the candidacy, who should serve on the nomination committee, who should be nominated for vice president, and how to seek party backing remained to be decided.
Speaking “more as a citizen than as a political leader,” Kanev said he expected not a party nominee but an independent presidential candidate put forward by a citizens’ committee. “I don’t think a party candidate can win this election,” he added.
Kanev said he expected a political process to begin soon that would lead to the nomination of an independent presidential candidate. He said he would welcome Gurov’s bid but stressed that the decision did not rest with him as DSB leader. DSB Leader Says Iotova’s Presidential Bid Meant to Leave Government Unchecked for Four Years 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-07-26 10:09:35 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law