Bulgaria gets its first female president: Iotova wins Runoff Election

She stressed that every vote matters and that a thorough analysis of citizens' concerns and expectations lies ahead.

Iotova described her election campaign as positive, stating that her team had not resorted to hate speech, confrontation or divisive rhetoric.

According to her, discussions with citizens focused on issues such as income, peace and the challenges facing Bulgaria, Bulgarian Euronews reported.

Iotova also criticized the campaign of her opponent, Andrey Gurov, questioning who had guided him towards what she described as an extremely aggressive tone towards her and her presidential team.

"Citizens have sent a message with their votes that they do not want this kind of politics. Such an approach is unacceptable in Bulgaria's elections. They have supported a policy of dialogue and seeking solutions, with coordination among institutions to ensure sound decisions, rather than a policy of obstructing everyone else," Iotova said.

She also revealed that Gurov had congratulated her on her election victory over the phone, Bulgarian news outlet Novinite reported.

Asked whether anyone would influence her future decisions as president, Iotova replied that she makes political decisions independently.

"After nearly 30 years in politics, I believe there is no one who can tell me what to do," Iotova said.

Iotova is leading in the second round of the country's presidential election with around 51 percent of the vote, while her opponent, former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov, secured between 43 and 45 percent, according to two exit polls published after polling stations closed at 8 p.m. local time last night.