Iliana Iotova facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Iliana Iotova
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| Илияна Йотова | |
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Official portrait, 2026
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| 6th President of Bulgaria | |
| Assumed office 23 January 2026 |
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| Prime Minister | Rosen Zhelyazkov |
| Vice President | Vacant |
| Preceded by | Rumen Radev |
| 5th Vice President of Bulgaria | |
| In office 22 January 2017 – 23 January 2026 |
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| President | Rumen Radev |
| Prime Minister |
See list
Boyko Borisov
Ognyan Gerdzhikov Boyko Borisov Stefan Yanev Kiril Petkov Galab Donev Nikolai Denkov Dimitar Glavchev Rosen Zhelyazkov |
| Preceded by | Margarita Popova |
| Succeeded by | Vacant |
| Member of the European Parliament for Bulgaria |
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| In office 6 June 2007 – 16 January 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Petar Kurumbashev |
| Member of the National Assembly | |
| In office 18 August 2005 – 20 May 2007 |
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| Constituency | 24th MMC - Sofia |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Iliana Malinova
24 October 1964 Sofia, PR Bulgaria |
| Political party | BSP (since 1997) |
| Spouse |
Andrey Iotov
(m. 1985) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Lycée Français de Sofia |
| Alma mater | Sofia University |
| Occupation |
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Iliana Malinova Iotova (born October 24, 1964) is a Bulgarian politician and journalist. She became the sixth President of Bulgaria on January 23, 2026, making her the first woman to hold this important role. Before becoming President, Ms. Iotova was the fifth Vice President of Bulgaria, serving alongside President Rumen Radev from 2017 until January 23, 2026. She is a member of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP).
Contents
Early Life and Education
Iliana Iotova was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, on October 24, 1964. She attended the French Lycée in Sofia, which is a special school. Later, she earned a master's degree from Sofia University, where she studied Bulgarian and French languages and literature (this is what 'philology' means). She also continued her studies in France at important schools like the National School of Administration (ENA) in Strasbourg and the Center for European Studies.
Career Before Politics
Before her political career, Ms. Iotova worked in television from 1990 to 1997. She was a reporter, editor, director, and presenter for news shows on Bulgarian National Television. After that, she managed the press office for the Bulgarian Socialist Party.
Political Journey
Working in Bulgaria's National Assembly
In 2005, Iliana Iotova was elected to Bulgaria's National Assembly. This is like being a member of parliament, where she helped make laws for the country.
Representing Bulgaria in Europe (2007–2017)
From 2007 to 2017, Ms. Iotova was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP). This means she represented Bulgaria in the European Union's parliament. She was re-elected in 2014. While there, she worked with a group called the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats.
She was involved in several important committees. These included committees focused on consumer protection, fishing, and handling public petitions. She also helped lead the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs. In this role, she worked on important topics like how to fairly share refugees across European Union countries.
Ms. Iotova also led a group that worked with Montenegro, a country in Europe. She was part of other groups that promoted honesty and fought against corruption.
In 2016, she was chosen to run as the Vice President alongside Rumen Radev for the Bulgarian presidential elections. After they won, she left her role in the European Parliament.
Becoming President of Bulgaria (2026)
President Radev's Resignation
On January 19, 2026, the former President, Rumen Radev, announced he would step down from his position. He spoke about the importance of fighting against corruption in the country. The next day, January 20, he officially submitted his resignation to the Constitutional Court.
On January 23, 2026, the Constitutional Court accepted President Radev's resignation. This officially ended his time as President of Bulgaria. After this decision, Mr. Radev left the "Dondukov 2" palace with the new President, Iliana Iotova. He spoke to his supporters, encouraging them to work together in the upcoming elections.
Iliana Iotova Becomes President
Iliana Iotova officially became the first female President of Bulgaria on January 23, 2026. She took on this important role before a special election that was planned.
See also
In Spanish: Iliana Yotova para niños
