The 65-year-old Bulgarian took over the position on an interim basis in 2020 after the incumbent, Svein Arne Hansen, suffered a stroke, and was elected without opposition in 2021.

The three vice-presidents elected were Cherry Alexander of Britain, Jean Gracia of France and Karin Grute Movin of Sweden.

To ensure a gender balance there was a new constitutional requirement of two representatives of each gender to be elected to the combined positions of European Athletics President and vice-president.

Consequently, for the first time in the 53-year history of European Athletics, there are two female vice-presidents.

Gracia retained his vice-presidency by a vote of 23-22 over Antii Pihlakoski of Finland in a second round of voting.

Marton Gyulai of Hungary gained four votes in the second round.

Belgium's Beijing 2008 high jump champion Tia Hellebaut was newly voted onto the Council, where there were 13 seats for 25 candidates, and another former athlete, Italy's 1986 European 10,000 metres champion Stefano Mei, also arrived.

They were among six new Council members.

The following 13 Council members were elected - Slobodan Brankovic of Serbia, Frank Carreras of Gibraltar, Raul Chapado of Spain, Anne Farseth of Norway, Marton Gyulai of Hungary, Hellebaut, Anna Kirnova of Slovakia, Jürgen Kessing of Germany, Mei, Gvantsa Mikeladze of Georgia, Antti Philakovski of Finland, Erich Teigamägi of Estonia and Aleksandra Vojneska-Zikova of North Macedonia.

Among those to lose their Council place was Fatih Cintimar, President of the Turkish Athletics Association, who last month stood alongside Karamarinov at Istanbul's Atakoy Arena welcoming all comers to the European Athletics Indoor Championships.

The European Athletics Constitution requires that a minimum of five members of each gender is represented on the European Athletics Council.

Karamarinov’s position gives him an automatic place on the Council of World Athletics, whose President, Sebastian Coe, was present in Belgrade.

"Anyone that knows me well knows that I like certainty and continuity," Coe said.

"I like certainty in the flow of the day at World Athletics, I like certainty in all our governance structures and I like certainty and continuity in the driving forces of all out continental associations so thank you [to Dobromir Karamarinov and European Athletics] for providing that certainty for the next four years.

"Our sport will prosper with your commitment and your passion."

Setting out his plans, Karamarinov said:

"I believe European Athletics is the strongest continental athletics organisation in the world and so I am very proud to have been elected as its President.

"I have three priorities: competitions, digitalisation and innovation, and the community.

"But my first step will always be to look to our Member Federations.

"For me, the development and prosperity of our Member Federations will always be the top priority.

"This starts tomorrow with the first meeting of the new European Athletics Council, and I have immediately started to think about the Member Federations.

"I will look at how to continue to improve the communication and development with our Member Federations via competitions, digitalisation and innovation, and the community."