site.btaMedia Review: February 1

The topic of the rising tension between the ruling majority and the President dominates Thursday’s news media.

POLITICS

Trud’s front-page article is about the tension between Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) floor leader Delyan Peevski and President Rumen Radev. Political experts and analysts commented for the daily that Peevski is clearly easing off on the gas pedal in his attack against Radev, and that GERB leader Boyko Borissov successfully takes on the role of a peacemaker. After Borissov’s much more balanced statement on Wednesday that it is absurd to talk about impeachment, Peevksi was not as curt in his verbal clashes with the President as in the previous days. According to analysts, that is a sign of a joint exit from the fight with the head of State. 

24 Chasa has an interview with Nikola Minchev, Deputy Chair of the National Assembly of Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria, who comments on his decision to run for MEP, the recent election of two constitutional judges on Parliament’s quota, the upcoming rotation in the Cabinet involving GERB-UDF, and the possibility of President Rumen Radev forming a party. Minchev says that his formation does not fear the appearance of a new political player; parties should be focused on winning their voters’ trust, and not on the possibility of another coming and replacing them. Also, history shows that the transition from the Presidency to the Legislature is not an easy process. Georgi Purvanov had two terms in office as president, was extremely popular in the Bulgarian Socialist Party’s circles, but once he launched the ABV party, he failed to win many votes in the elections. ABV barely made it into Parliament and was part of the second government of GERB leader Boyko Borissov for a little while, and that was the end of its significant presence in politics, Minchev recalls.

Telegraf writes in an inside-page story that the ruling majority denies having made an offer to President Rumen Radev to be part of their assemblage [the word used to describe the ruling majority of GERB-UDF and Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria, since these formations refuse to call themselves a coalition]. Vice President Iliana Iotova recently claimed that such an offer had been made.

Duma quotes Socialist MP Ivan Ivanov as saying on Bulgaria ON AIR on Wednesday that the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) is not participating in the smear war between Peevski and the Presidency. The BSP recently reported suspicions of corruption in four ministries of President Radev's caretaker cabinets, because the BSP adheres to its principles: it always fights corruption. Ivanov expressed surprise at Iotova’s claim that Radev had been invited to participate in the assemblage between GER-UDF and Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria. “Some talks have obviously been held. The three sides are the ones who must reveal what the talks were about, but each side leaves the ball in the other’s court,” Ivanov said. The President hinting at the establishment of a political party is disturbing; he owes the public an explanation on how Continue the Change came to be and how they entered politics, Ivanov argued.

An analysis on Segabg.com reads that the smear campaign between politicians never ends, but sometimes it looks as if something serious is happening. That is the present case where MRF leader Peevski and President Radev are exchanging accusations of corruption. A battle is clearly beginning between the MRF circles and the Presidency, and the explanation lies in the upcoming European Parliament elections. In Bulgaria, those elections are usually met with indifference, but this time around politicians are worried that the votes for MEPs will indicate the voters’ trust in the power holders. Hence the current theatre performance, which will only manage to further repulse the disheartened voters, the analysis reads.

On Bulgarian National Radio, Dimitar Ganev of the Trend polling agency commented that there is growing apathy in people; ever more voters distance themselves from the election process. If the President sets up a party, it will target exactly those voters, whose number is much higher than that of the people who voted for GERB-UDF in the current National Assembly. According to Ganev, more than one new formation might appear, driven by the existing potential, and Radev’s potential party will be one of them, if not the key one. However, he will have to act directly, and not through avatars like when he legitimized Continue the Change through his caretaker cabinet. The levels of support for the Government are around 20%, Ganev noted.

On Nova TV’s morning show, Ganev commented on the verbal shootouts between Radev and Peevski: “Peevski became very active from the very beginning of the assemblage. The MRF acquired a new role. He tried to position himself as a spokesperson, a leader of society. Ganev presented the results of Trend’s latest nationally representative survey on adult Bulgarians’ political attitudes. Early general elections are not likely to be held soon. The data has not changed much in the last several months, and that is not due to lack of dynamics in the political process but due to reality failing to meet expectations. Voters are pulling away from the election process and if elections were held today, the voter turnout would be even lower than in the April 2023 elections, Ganev noted.

Bulgarian National Television’s morning show was themed, “The War between Institutions: Who Wins and Who Loses from the Tension between the Ruling Majority and the President?” Commenting on the matter, Bulgarian MEP Petar Vitanov (BSP/S&D Group) said that the attack against the Presidency is highly unflattering for most Bulgarians; it is aimed at discrediting the President as the only political alternative. There are several reasons for the tensing rising now, of all times. Firstly, the Presidency is the only institution left standing between the assemblage and absolute power. Secondly, many people view the Presidency as an alternative, including a political one, and a source of hope. Thirdly, changes in the government are planned in March, and the Presidency has a role to play because of the government-forming mandate required. Finally, the assemblage is torn by internal scandals, so a common enemy is needed to mobilize the shocked voters, Vitanov argued.

On bTV’s morning show, President’s Secretary on Security and Defence Dimitar Stoyanov commented that it is unclear whether a new political formation will appear and, if yes, whether it will be established by the President. “I am yet to see such a project on the horizon, perhaps we should discuss it after it appears,” Stoyanov said, adding that he is yet to see a pro-Russia party in Bulgaria. He also said that the ruling majority has not sent an offer to President Radev to participate in the assemblage. “Delyan Peevski presents his theses only so he can protect his coalition partners. Standing on [Continue the Change co-leader] Kiril Petkov’s left-hand side is Boyko Borissov, who Petkov arrested for corruption [in 2022], and on his right-hand side is Peevski, who Petkov himself has accused of corruption,” Stoyanov argued. 

ECONOMY

Trud has an interview with financial expert Lyubomir Karimanski about the chances of Bulgaria introducing the euro as of January 1, 2025 and the changes required for that to happen. According to him, the chances for eurozone entry in a year are pretty slim and would depend not so much on the implementation of actual criteria as on political deals, which very often cost Bulgaria dearly. The entry in the euro area will have a positive effect on the economic process and citizens, provided the fiscal and monetary policies are managed with the goal to reduce inflation and are headed in the same direction.  However, judging from what has been happening thus far, it is hard to remain calm because the State’s fiscal policy is not at all moving in the same direction as the European Central Bank’s monetary policy targeting inflation, he argues.

Mediapool.bg quotes Association of Modern Trade CEO Nikolay Valkanov as saying that the potential introduction of the euro next year will not result in higher prices in the hypermarkets. However, the Association expects quite a lot of clarifications from the State on the BGN-EUR transition process. For example, it is unclear how shops should change their software to reflect the prices both in BGN in EUR during the transition period. What happens when a given product has a promotional price – should both the regular and the promotional price be presented in both BGN and EUR, resulting in four prices being written on the price tag and the receipt? 

***

24 Chasa’s front-page article is about draft amendments put forward by Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria whereby the National Revenue Agency (NRA) will no longer bother tax payers over fines already paid. The bill introduces a fine of BGN 1,000 for an employee of a municipality or Traffic Police who fails to inform the NRA that the fines have been paid.

***

Telegraf has an interview with Consumer Protection Commission Chair Stoil Alipiev, who argues that the sanction for unfair commercial practices should be a percentage of the offender’s turnover.