site.btaMedia Review: February 18

No single topic dominates Tuesday’s media.

POLITICS

On Bulgarian National Television's (BNT) morning show, commenting on U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan, which involves Ukraine ceding territory to Russia, National Assembly Deputy Chair Atanas Atanassov of the Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria coalition described the proposal as fundamentally unjust. He argued that allowing Russia to keep the occupied territories and blocking Ukraine’s NATO membership is unacceptable and unwelcome by Old Europe. "Old Europe is concerned, and with good reason. The United States, a key ally in Europe’s largest alliances—NATO and the EU—is now at odds with Europe. The behaviour of U.S. representatives is causing this anxiety," Atanassov remarked. He warned of significant challenges ahead for both the EU and NATO.

Atanassov also questioned why President Rumen Radev was chosen to represent Bulgaria at the Munich Security Conference. "A crucial question here is: what is the president doing at the Munich conference? According to Bulgaria’s Constitution, it is the Council of Ministers that ensures national security and public order. This is the government's responsibility—I do not understand how they agreed for him to represent us," he said.

ECONOMY

Speaking to Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB), CITUB President Plamen Dimitrov said that the Confederation has established itself as one of the most successfully reformed trade unions in Eastern Europe and as an influential force. "Many of the reforms that took place happened thanks to us—some successful, others not. We all failed in the reform of property—privatization. This still weighs on us. We bear the burden of this fundamental reform. Overall—and this is the general perception among Bulgarians—privatization was carried out in a way that was not fair," Dimitrov remarked.

According to him, in recent years, Bulgaria has made progress in increasing incomes, moving closer to the European average. "We have surpassed 60% of the average European income. In the next few years, we will reach the coveted 70%," he predicted. "Both the dance with employers and the dance with politicians are difficult—and lately, we must perform both without missing a step," he added.

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In an interview with the 24 Chasa daily, Economy and Industry Minister Petar Dilov revealed that the government is drafting a bill aimed at reducing the number of intermediaries between agricultural producers and end consumers. His comments come in response to the calls for a boycott of major retailers over rising food prices. "We are actively working on this bill. European experience shows that similar initiatives not only protect farmers' incomes but also regulate supply chain contracts—an essential step toward ensuring fair conditions for all participants. Our primary goal is to promote fairness and transparency in food trade while safeguarding the interests of both producers and consumers. A well-regulated supply chain can provide greater security and stability by reducing excessive markups that drive up prices for the end customer," Dilov explained.

Among the proposed measures is a cap on retail discounts, limiting price reductions to no more than 35% of a product's value to prevent unjustified pricing practices and market distortions. Additionally, no more than 25% of a product's volume may be sold through promotional offers, ensuring that discounts do not undermine the long-term stability of trade. "We are also exploring the possibility of regulating the resale rights for producers to sell their goods in retail outlets, as many retailers currently charge high entry fees," Dilov added. The proposed legislation aims to create a more balanced and transparent agri-food market while addressing concerns about rising food costs and ensuring fair competition for all stakeholders, he stressed.

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In an interview with BNR regarding the calls for a boycott of major retailers in protest against food prices, former agriculture minister Kiril Vatev emphasized the urgent need for a thorough examination of pricing along the supply chain—from store shelves back to the farm. "We need clear rules to prevent the abuse of significant market power, and that cannot be achieved by imposing price caps or profit margins. If the stronger party retains the right to set the rules, they will continue to do so, and everyone else along the chain will be crushed," Vatev warned. He stressed that the government must establish rules governing the agri-food supply chain but noted that regulations alone would not be sufficient. "In no case should prices or profit margins be fixed, but to ensure fair competition, the rules must be equal for everyone. There needs to be an investigation into whether identical products from different suppliers—of the same quality—are subject to different markups or trading conditions to reach store shelves. Fair competition requires a level playing field for all participants," he said.

Vatev also highlighted the absence of agricultural cooperatives in Bulgaria, contrasting the current situation with the 1930s when Bulgaria led Europe in GDP per capita, thanks to cooperative systems and legislation supporting local industry and trade—key elements of national security.

To achieve better market prices, Vatev called for amendments to the Protection of Competition Act and the introduction of three new laws modelled after successful frameworks in other countries. These include: a law on sectoral organizations and the agricultural chamber to create functional industry organizations; a law on cooperatives to prevent exploitative intermediaries along the supply chain; and a law on agri-food supply chain rules to ensure uniform conditions for all market participants offering similar products of the same quality. Additionally, he called for clarifying and expanding the powers of the Commission on Protection of Competition to enforce oversight of the agri-food supply chain.

"Bulgaria has the potential to feed a population of 30 million," Vatev concluded, underscoring the country’s capacity for agricultural production.

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Former Consumer Protection Commission chair Dimitar Margaritov also commented on the issue during an appearance on Nova TV’s morning show, urging for a long-term solution to the problem.

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The Trud tabloid daily frontpages an article titled "Bulgaria Leads in Food Price Increases". However, the caption under the article’s photo says that Bulgaria actually ranks second among EU countries in terms of the highest food price increases since 2015. According to the publication, which cites Eurostat data, the prices of basic food products in Bulgaria in 2024 are, on average, 74.45% higher than in 2015. This increase is significantly above the EU average for the same period, which stands at just over 45%, Trud reports.

HEALTH

Speaking on Nova News TV, psychiatrist Dr. Alexander Kanchelov and Atanas Rusev, Director of the Security Programme at the Center for the Study of Democracy, discussed the issue of vape use among children and young people in Bulgaria.

According to Kanchelov, various studies indicate that 25% of schoolchildren have used narcotic substances before the age of 14. He noted that society is already in a "new era" of synthetic drug use and explained that behind vape flavours lie at least some 3,000 substances of unknown origin with harmful effects on the body. "For the younger generation, this could be devastating," the psychiatrist added.

Rusev, in turn, emphasized that the institutional network responsible for prevention and supporting those struggling with addiction is underfunded, and there is a lack of public debate on the issue. He further stressed the need to develop a comprehensive strategy to combat drug addiction, arguing that mere prohibitions will not resolve the problem.

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Trud features an interview with molecular geneticist Lyubomir Balabanski who provides a detailed explanation of how vapes, laughing gas, and waterpipes affect the bodies of adolescents and young people. He warns that the use of vapes can lead to asthma, emphysema, and cause other lung damage.

ENVIRONMENT

24 Chasa publishes a detailed analysis on the state of the forestry sector in Bulgaria, arguing that the sector is currently facing its most challenging period and is struggling for survival. It emphasizes the need for liberation from its partisan-political "bondage". The article mentions that the debate in Parliament on February 13, regarding the waters of the Arda and Mesta rivers and the need for cautious eco-diplomacy in negotiating water volumes with neighbouring Greece, should also trigger an in-depth discussion about the alarming condition and the lack of principles in managing Bulgaria's forests, which are essential for providing the increasingly critical and strategically important resource – water.

MEDIA

Segabg.com frontpages an article about the issue with the expired mandate of the Director General of BNT, Bulgaria's public television broadcaster. The article is titled "For the fifth time, Sasho Yovkov blocks the case for replacing Koshlukov at BNT," and states that for the fifth time, retired sports journalist Sasho Yovkov has prevented a session regarding the court case concerning the last competition for the position of BNT director general, which the Council for Electronic Media unsuccessfully conducted in the summer of 2022, from taking place. Here’s a fragment of Segabg.com’s article: "Unlike in previous cases, where Yovkov blocked the case with sick leaves, withdrawing his defending lawyer at the last moment, and making additional requests for witness summons, yesterday the volleyball commentator disrupted the third attempt to start the case in the Supreme Administrative Court, claiming that he had been improperly summoned. The judge granted his request and scheduled another date for May, when a fourth attempt will be made to start the case at the final instance."

"The result of all this is that BNT Director General Emil Koshlukov continues to manage BNT for about two and a half years after his term expired. According to the Radio and Television Act, his mandate should have ended in the summer of 2022. However, this has not happened due to the seemingly endless court saga. […] A crucial detail in the entire situation is that after staying in his position even after his mandate expired, Koshlukov appointed the retired sports journalist [Sasho Yovkov] as BNT3’s external consultant," the article further says.