site.btaMedia Review: November 5

THE HEADLINES

All dailies focus on the calls by parliamentary forces and civic movements to annul the October 27 elections, citing manipulation and vote rigging. Morality, Unity, Honour (MECh), There is Such a People (TISP), the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (ARF), Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) and Velichie are divided between demands for full or partial annulment, and Vazrazhdane seeks a ballot recount. Prominent figures like TISP leader Slavi Trifonov appealed to the Constitutional Court and President Rumen Radev to address alleged electoral violations and uphold democratic integrity. GERB leader Boyko Borissov questioned the outcome of the annulment, but said he is ready to support it.

ELECTIONS ANNULMENT

Trud, 24 Chasa, Telegraf, Dnevnik, Sega.bg, Mediapool.bg, bTV, Nova TV, BNT and BNR write about the calls by different parties to annul the October 27 elections.

Trud and Telegraf write that MECh, led by Radostin Vasilev, calls for a full annulment of the October 27 elections, claiming "widespread vote manipulation and corruption involving state institutions." MECh highlights its role as the first to raise the issue and notes that Vasilev’s supporters have gathered signatures from 48 MPs to petition the Constitutional Court for an annullment. The MECh statement questions TISP leader Slavi Trifonov’s call for a partial annulment, suggesting it could favor specific parties entering National Assembly while leaving GERB and MRF unaffected, with whom, it alleges, Trifonov has aligned interests. Mediapool.bg, bTV, Nova TV, BNT and BNR also covered MECh statements in their overview of the calls for election annulment.

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Trud, Telegraf and Dnevnik also report that Vazrazhdane calls for a recount of the October 27 election votes, with party leader Kostadin Kostadinov announcing the request on Facebook but not specifying if the recount should be full or partial. Dnevnik, Sega.bg, Mediapool.bg, bTV, Nova TV, BNT and BNR also provide coverage of this.

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Trud and Dnevnik report on Ivelin Mihaylov, the ideologue of the party Velichie (Grandeur), rejecting a partial annulment, instead urging for a complete cancellation to restore trust in the electoral process. In a social media address, Mihaylov criticizes TISP and Vazrazhdane, accusing both of cooperating with GERB and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF)-New Beginning, whom he claims are involved in election manipulation.

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All media outlets cover GERB leader Boyko Borissov’s insistence that the parliament chairmanship go to GERB, cautioning that “if others decide to do their political machinations, we will not participate in any talks.” At a briefing, Borissov expressed frustration over the lack of focus on forming a government ten days after the elections, remarking, "I hear everything except a desire to govern." He pointed to GERB’s consistent election results under various interior ministers, specifically noting the party’s “weakest result” during the tenure of former caretaker minister Kalin Stoyanov.

Borissov also said that the election of the National Assembly Chair will determine GERB’s approach to consultations, adding that it will reveal whether “the colleagues from Vazrazhdane and TISP respect the people's vote.” He dismissed collaboration with both factions of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), asserting, “There is no good faction of MRF.”

Borissov criticized that CC-DB leader Atanas Atanassov was put forward as a candidate for National Assembly Chair, calling it “unethical” given CC-DB’s seat count and insisting that without a governing coalition, “there is nothing to talk about at all.”

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Mediapool.bg covers the statements by GERB leader Borissov in full detail and provides additional background. As part of the coverage, Mediapool reports that GERB will not back proposed tax increases suggested by the Ministry of Finance to address the projected 2025 budget deficit. Borissov shared that Finance Minister Lyudmila Petkova presented several options, including a 3% rise in pension contributions, reinstating the 20% VAT for restaurants and bread, increasing excise duties on cigarettes, a windfall tax on bank profits, higher gambling fees, and a new tax on resource extraction.

Petkova also proposed postponing salary hikes for the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Defence, and teachers until 2026, along with a 10% cut in budget sector maintenance, as part of cost-cutting measures. Borissov confirmed GERB’s refusal to support a budget containing these tax hikes, though the party has backed previous measures, particularly in the energy sector that have contributed to the deficit. The Ministry of Finance acknowledges that such proposals are under discussion.

The Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) also provided coverage of this topic and said that Borissov clarified that he would support the proposed budget only if there is a regular government to take political responsibility for implementing the measures.

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Dnevnik covers the statements by Borissov and provides background on reactions to his statements by other political parties, in particular Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB). CC-DB’s Ivaylo Mirchev noted in a Facebook post that they are open to discussing support for the parliamentary chair with GERB, but only if GERB shows readiness to distance itself from its reliance on Delyan Peevski, which they have not done so far.

Dnevnik also highlights a contradiction in Boyko Borissov’s stance on potential coalition partners for the next parliament. While Borissov initially dismissed working with the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) factions, stating, "There is no good MRF, and I will not work with them," he later said he was open to "work with anyone who wants there to be a government." Borissov also distanced GERB from Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria's (CC-DB) position on excluding MRF-New Beginning from leadership roles in parliamentary committees, signaling GERB’s rejection of a cordon sanitaire around Delyan Peevski.

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Trud, 24 Chasa, Dnevnik, Sega.bg, Mediapool.bg, bTV, Nova TV, and BNR report that Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) has decided to support a request to the Constitutional Court for a partial annulment of the election results. This decision was reached during a leadership meeting.

CC-DB will seek a review of sections with turnout twice the average, sections where cameras were improperly positioned or turned off, and sections with more than 1% invalid ballots, which practically covers more than two-thirds of the sections.

24 Chasa reports in an article that CC-DB is seeking assurance that the votes were accurately counted. The coalition announced its intention to petition the Constitutional Court for a comprehensive review of the election results.

CC-DB co-leader Assen Vassilev confirmed that CC-DB will provide signatures for every complaint against the elections submitted to the Constitutional Court, ensuring that all grievances regarding this contentious electoral process are reviewed. CC-DB co-leader Atanas Atanassov added that a review of all section results would clarify whether there is a need for a new composition of the National Assembly based on any discrepancies identified.

The coalition's complaint will highlight irregularities in nearly 5,000 sections, where over 5% of ballots were invalid and machine-recorded vote counts differed from those tallied by section election commissions. CC-DB’s Bozhidar Bozhanov noted that additional violations were caught on video, some of which may be criminal, including votes being attributed to neighboring parties and last-minute changes in section commissions, leading to full control by one party.

CC-DB Floor Leader Nikolay Denkov observed that significant pressure influenced voters on election day. He pointed to an unusual discrepancy in the total results of MRF-New Beginning and the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (ARF) compared to the results of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) in previous elections. He suggested that Peevski's apparent popularity could only be explained by controlled voting methods, potentially involving financial incentives. Denkov also spoke of the need for a government that prioritizes two key actions: establishing a proper parliamentary composition and ensuring fair leadership in parliamentary committees, as the current results are based on a distorted vote.

Dnevnik further reports that CC-DB's Nikolay Denkov outlined two potential paths for forming a government: one involving the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF)-New Beginning coalition led by Delyan Peevski, and another excluding it. Denkov urged GERB, as the largest party, to decide if Peevski's influence will be allowed in decision-making.

CC-DB co-leader Kiril Petkov said that GERB’s stance on isolating Peevski will affect CC-DB’s willingness to participate in talks on electing a parliamentary speaker and forming a cabinet, framing the decision as a choice between "Bulgaria or Peevski."

CC-DB co-leader Assen Vassilev responded to a question on the comments by GERB leader Boyko Borissov that isolating Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF)-New Beginning in parliamentary committee leaderships could be unconstitutional. Vassilev interpreted this as GERB aligning with Peevski but suggested offering GERB another chance to reconsider. Vassilev warned that GERB’s stance, if unchanged, would jeopardize Bulgaria’s future.

CC-DB co-leader Atanas Atanassov added that ten days after the election, GERB has yet to seek support for forming a government, indicating a lack of initiative from the leading political force.

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Trud, 24 Chasa, Telegraf, Dnevnik, Mediapool.bg, Nova TV, BNT, and BNR report on President Rumen Radev’s comments on the October 27 election annulment debate, placing responsibility on political parties to address the issue. Radev emphasized that seeking the annulment through the Constitutional Court would allow parties to "strengthen trust in parliament." He added that his own actions would depend on whether parties take concrete steps to address election integrity.

Radev announced he will convene the 51st National Assembly on November 11, explaining that the 15-day period before the session allows for a thorough review of all claims and inter-party discussions on parliament’s structure. He also criticized the Ministry of Interior, suggesting that its current leadership has not met public expectations for ensuring electoral integrity. Radev said that proactive measures, such as special surveillance requests and preventive activities, were significantly lower compared to actions under the caretaker governments he appointed.

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Trud, 24 Chasa, Sega.bg, Mediapool.bg, Nova TV, BNT and BNR report on the Interior Ministry's update on election-related activities during the October 27 snap parliamentary elections. The report, released by the Council of Ministers, indicates that by October 31, 984 alerts on election violations were received, leading to 128 fast-track and pre-trial proceedings, including 115 for crimes against electoral rights. Seventy-three individuals were detained, and 1,934 warnings were issued.

The report highlights a conviction in Pleven (Northern Bulgaria), where a vote buyer received a six-month sentence, though no political parties or coalitions involved in vote-buying were named.

The Interior Ministry said that adequate preliminary organization and resource allocation allowed it to meet its legal responsibilities for the election process. A comprehensive analysis of the Ministry’s election-related activities will be submitted to the Council of Ministers.

Sega.bg reports that the Ministry of Interior withheld details on vote-buying in the report sent to President Rumen Radev, Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev, and National Assembly Chair Raya Nazaryan, citing legal constraints. The brief report sent to top officials contained no specific names or parties, focusing instead on procedural details and anonymous cases. President Radev criticized the ministry's lack of proactive measures, noting that indicators like warning protocols and surveillance requests were significantly lower than during his appointed caretaker governments.

Three days ago, President Rumen Radev said in an official statement that he is waiting for the Ministry of Interior to explain how the increasing reports and examples of vote-buying and manipulation are visible to everyone but remain unnoticed by the responsible institutions. He also questioned whether state bodies have been used as a tool against mayors and businesses to enforce voting, and asked which political party and leader are employing such practices. Ilkov declined to address these questions.

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Sega.bg also reports that a report filed by the State Agency for National Security (SANS) to the Council of Ministers lacked specifics on foreign interference or targeted threats to the electoral process, though it acknowledged receiving six reports of election violations, including from the presidency and civil organizations. A reported case from Dobrich (Northeastern Bulgaria), alleging a criminal vote-buying network, was dismissed after the sender denied sending the report.

Mediapool.bg also covers the report filed by the State Agency for National Security, which found no evidence of external interference in the October 27 elections. The report emphasizes that SANS and the Ministry of Interior believe the elections proceeded largely without major violations, despite calls from some political parties for partial or full annulment of the results.

SANS detailed routine preventive measures, including forming a joint unit with the Ministry of Interior and the prosecution service, aimed at safeguarding the election. While SANS intensified surveillance on high-risk foreign individuals and extremist groups, no specific threats or attacks targeting the electoral process or related information systems were identified.

The agency received several reports concerning vote-buying, including signals from the Yes, Bulgaria! party and the civic movement BOEC. The lists of potential vote-buyers were forwarded to the prosecution service. SANS noted that no investigations were initiated in two cases due to insufficient evidence.

ECONOMY

Trud, 24 Chasa, Telegraf, Sega.bg, BNT, bTV, and BNR report on the signing of an engineering contract for new nuclear capacities at Kozloduy NPP, highlighting Bulgaria's commitment to energy security and nuclear expansion.

Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev emphasized the project's priority status, underscoring its role in strengthening Bulgaria’s energy independence. Energy Minister Vladimir Malinov noted the government's focus on nuclear development with strict adherence to international standards. Elias Gedeon of Westinghouse reaffirmed U.S. support for Bulgaria's energy diversification, while Hyundai CEO Yoon Young-Joon expressed Hyundai’s dedication to the project, viewing Bulgaria as an emerging energy hub.

Capital and Mediapool.bg provided an overall analysis of the project. In their analysis, they say Bulgaria advanced its nuclear capabilities with the signing of an engineering contract between the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant-New Capacities and the Westinghouse-Hyundai consortium. Valued at approximately USD 350-370 million, the contract covers technical and economic assessments, expected by late 2025. Following this, the National Assembly will make a final investment decision, aiming for the first reactor to be operational by 2034.

The articles quote Hyundai CEO Yoon Young-Joon, who expressed confidence in achieving fixed-cost and timeline objectives, with 10,000 workers slated for the project. 

The total estimated cost, between USD 14-16 billion, will require a state-backed financial model for viability, with financing commitments of USD 8 billion each from the Export–Import Bank of the United States and Korean export agencies. 

Talks are also underway with Ukraine to sell unused equipment from the Belene NPP, potentially securing BGN 1.2 billion for Kozloduy’s expansion, pending Ukrainian financing and parliamentary approval.

The project aims for a binding offer with a fixed price, adjusted for inflation, and provisions for debt restructuring, which depend on Bulgaria’s potential entry into the eurozone and OECD membership. Environmental compliance is a priority, with an already approved environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the seventh unit, and an EIA for the unit eight expected by the end of 2025. European Commission approval is also required, with initial discussions already in progress.

Westinghouse will supply AP-1000 reactor technology, while Hyundai oversees construction, reinforcing Bulgaria’s push for energy independence and establishing its role as a regional energy hub.

MOUNTAIN RESCUE

Trud, 24 Chasa, Telegraf, Sega.bg and BNT report that an air ambulance and mountain rescuers from the Bansko team successfully assisted a tourist stranded on a cliff near Mount Dzhangal. The Mountain Rescue Service of the Bulgarian Red Cross said that the tourist had slipped and was unable to move up or down, clinging to the rock at risk of falling.

A helicopter from the Bulgaria Heli Med Service was dispatched due to the high-risk conditions. It transported six rescuers to a nearby location, as the weather prevented a closer landing. The Bansko rescuers reached the stranded tourist by 3:25 p.m., secured him, and guided him down a mountain path to safety, completing the operation successfully.