Yordanka Fandakova
Йорданка Фандъкова
64th Mayor of Sofia
In office 8 November 2011 – 13 November 2023
Preceded by	Maria Boyadzhiyska (acting)
Succeeded by	Vassil Terziev
In office 23 November 2009 – 6 October 2011
Preceded by	Boyko Borisov
Succeeded by	Maria Boyadzhiyska (acting)
Minister of Education and Science
In office 27 July 2009 – 19 November 2009
Prime Minister	Boyko Borisov
Preceded by	Daniel Valchev
Succeeded by	Sergei Ignatov
Personal details
Born	(1962-04-12) 12 April 1962 (age 61) Samokov, Bulgaria
Political party	GERB
Spouse	Yuri Fandakov
Children	1
Alma mater	Sofia University

Yordanka Asenova Fandakova (Bulgarian: Йорданка Асенова Фандъкова; born 12 April 1962) is a Bulgarian politician and former Mayor of Sofia. She was the first woman to hold this position. She was elected on 15 November 2009, after defeating the Bulgarian Socialist Party contender Georgi Kadiev. Fandakova is a member of the conservative GERB party.

Early life and education

Fandakova was born in Samokov, Sofia Province. She graduated the 35th Russian Language School in Sofia and the University of Sofia, majoring in Russian Studies. She is married and has a daughter. She was a teacher (from 1985) and head teacher (since 1998) at the 73rd secondary school for foreign languages "Vladislav Gramatik" in Sofia. She became Deputy Mayor of Sofia Municipality of Culture, Education, Sports and Prevention of Abuse in 2007.

Political career

Fandakova was elected Member of Parliament for GERB in the National Assembly in the 2009 Bulgarian parliamentary election and was made Minister of Education, Youth and Science.

In October Fandakova took a leave because of campaign-trail^[1] for mayor elections in Sofia and was substituted by Sergei Ignatov, Deputy Minister of Education and Science ^[2] who after she won election was appointed as the new Minister of Education and Science.

On 15 November 2009, she was elected as mayor of Sofia. Fandakova received 66.23% of the vote in the elections held on 15 November 2009. The Socialist Party contender Georgi Kadiev received 27.71%, with a turnout of 23.17%.^[3]

She ran for another term as Mayor of Sofia in the 2019 Bulgarian local elections.^[4][5]

Her mandate ended four years later, as the 2023 Sofia mayoral election determined that Vassil Terziev would be the new Mayor.