site.btaMedia Review: July 27

POLITICS

Trud, 24 Chasa, Sega, Mediapool report that the Council of Ministers adopted on Wednesday five key priorities in Bulgaria's Governance Programme for the period between June 2023 to December 2024, The five priorities are Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen area by the end of 2023, joining the eurozone from January 1 2025, curbing inflation, implementing the reforms and projects of the National Recovery and Sustainability Plan, and improving the efficiency and transparency of municipal project management. 

Trud quotes Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov, who said that the most important thing at Wednesday's meeting of the Council of Ministers was the adoption of the Governance Programme. He stated that he expects support to continue in the coming months, so that the government can implement  legislative and administrative programmes and improve people's lives and the conditions for business in Bulgaria. Denkov also commented on the 2023 State Budget Bill, noting that the Budget and Finance Committee made some wrong decisions that did not provide the financial framework previously prepared by the Council of Ministers. The Prime Minister noted that he has the assurances of the party leaders that they will correct these decisions.

24 Chasa, Trud, Sega, Mediapool and Telegraph quote the leaders of GERB-UDF, Continue the Change (CC) and Democratic Bulgaria (DB), Boyko Borissov, Kiril Perkov and Hristo Ivanov, that they have reached an agreement to accept the budget. Ivanov pointed out that an agreement was reached on one of the controversial issues  - that online payments should only be made to companies with over 100 employees. Borissov noted that if the budget is not adopted, the government will fall. An agreement was also reached that the ceiling for electricity prices for businesses would remain BGN 200, as an anti-inflationary measure.

Sega and 24 Chasa also quote the three leaders, who stressed that that GERB-UDF and CC-DB have no disputes on the constitutional judicial reform. Sega adds that on Wednesday, the first meeting of the Constitutional Affairs Committee took place, at which it became clear that Boyko Borissov's people have serious objections to some right-wing ideas about changes to the constitution. Therefore, it seems fitting that  the leaders decided to emphasize their unity on the main aspect of the reform - the changes in the management of the judicial system. Borissov pointed to DB's Hristo Ivanov as the leader of the judicial reform.

24 Chasa, Mediapool and Trud report that the Movement for Rights and Freedoms does not accept and will not support the idea of limiting the mandate of successful mayors. Delyan Peevski from MRF said this in the National Assembly, and later noted that the MRF is talking with GERB and CC-DB to submit a draft for constitutional changes in order to reach common points.  24 Chasa adds that GERB leader Borissov also firmly stated that his party will not support the term limit for mayors.

It its morning programme, Bulgarian National Television hosted a political discussion, where sociologist Boryana Dimitrova said that the GERB-UDF and CC-DB coalition, despite all frictions and problems, gives indications that it is here to stay for the next 18 months, as written in its management programme. "In the middle of the summer, when people are the least socially engaged [...] the coalition proposed constitutional changes. These changes go against the logic of pluralism and democracy," argued political scientist Slavi Vasilev, noting that the constitutional changes aim at "longevity" of the coalition. Dimitrova said that  the constitutional changes are unlikely to be  voted on during the summer season, and that there will be time for debates.

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Sega comments on the controversial proposal to make May 24 a national holiday instead of March 3. The publication stresses that this idea completely overshadowed focus on the discussions on constitutional changes, both from the public and from the opposition. DB's Hristo Ivanov diplomatically pointed out that there are three readings of the constitutional amendments, which gives enough time for public discussion. GERB's Borissov also cautiously stated that this is a topic that should be discussed in more detail by society. CC leader Kiril Petkov was adamant in his support for the change. "We must give a covenant to our children that only through education, literacy, culture and enlightenment, Bulgaria can prosper. History is very important and we respect it, but the future of Bulgaria depends on these virtues," said Petkov. MRF's Peevski said that this is a matter of discussion and that the MRF has no objection. 24 Chasa and Duma quote an entire scathing declaration issued by the Bulgarian Socialists Party (BSP) on the parliamentary rostrum on the matter, where the BSP called CC-DB "unpatriotic traitors" for suggesting it.

24 Chasa, Trud, Sega and Telegraph quote President Rumen Radev, who said that  "the project for changes to the Constitution is legally illiterate and politically flawed". He also commented on the proposal to remove March 3 as a national holiday: "When you don't have working solutions for the present and the future - you start a war with the past. The attempt to delete March 3 from the national calendar is an attempt against history, against the ideals of the Bulgarian revivalists and against the memory of the thousands who died for our freedom in our and foreign wars. I am firmly against such experiments". In his words, May 24 is a wonderful holiday, but a referendum will divide society, forcing a choice between language and writing, and freedom and statehood.  Asked if he sees an attack on the presidential power in the proposals to remove the option for a caretaker cabinet, Radev answered: "The lower the legitimacy of a government, the more it seeks to consolidate its power with administrative and forceful measures".

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Duma, 23 Chasa, Sega, Trud write that BSP collected just over 208,000 signatures for the referendum "against the study of gender ideology in schools". However, the collected signatures are far from the 400,000 required to hold a referendum. In addition, verification is now pending to prove that all signatures collected for the initiative are valid. If they are not, then the referendum cannot enter the agenda of the National Assembly, which must decide within three months whether to hold a referendum or not. And although at this stage the collected signatures allow a debate to be held in the plenary hall, BSP leader Korneliya Ninova was skeptical that this will happen. "Seeing what the attitude of the majority is, I doubt they would allow this referendum," Ninova said, referring to the defeat that the Vazrazhdane referendum against the euro suffered in the plenary hall.

Sega, 24 Chasa, Mediapool and Trud write that Parliament elected Andrey Gyurov and Petar Chobanov as deputy governors of the Bulgarian National Bank. They were nominated by re-elected governor Dimitar Radev. Vazrazhdane and There Is Such a People voted against, and the Bulgarian Socialist Party abstained.

FINANCE

Trud and Telegraph report that on Wednesday, Parliament adopted the budget of the National Health Insurance Fund for 2023 at the second reading. The budget envisages costs of over BGN 7 billion, 910 million more than in the previous year. The most significant increase is for the funds provided for prevention. A total of BGN 6,660,000 will be added to the health insurance payments for specialized outpatient medical care, including complex dispensary (ambulatory) monitoring. These funds are intended for the outpatient procedure of diagnosis and assessment of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Trud reports of a  national protest by the Zashtita trade union, where doctors, nurses and ambulance drivers from the branches of the Emergency Service throughout the country continued to demand a salary increase, which would cost the treasury BGN 60 million . Zashtita will submit a statement to the President with a request to convene the National Security Advisory Council because of the problems in the Emergency Service in the country. Zashtita warned that the country could be left without emergency aid, noting that in Burgans, at the height of the season, there should be 16 teams, but there are only two. The lack of emergency personnel is due to low pay.

In a Nova morning interview, Economy Minister Bogdan Bogdanov said that inflation is decreasing for yet another month. He added, however, that purchasing power is the more important parameter that people should focus on. Bogdanov explained that it depends on the increase in income. Foreign investments in this  country have increased by 60% compared to 2022. He pointed out that two large international companies are currently investing nearly BGN 100 million in this country. Bogdanov was adamant that Bulgaria should strengthen its own production of goods and rely less on imports. He also commented on fuel prices after the MPs took away the concession of Rosenets port from Lukoil. There is no problem, assured the Minister of Economy. "There is no need to scare the public that the fuel has run out. Fuels in Bulgaria are at one of the best prices in Europe. There are no grounds for concern," added Bogdanov. The Minister stressed that it is extremely important that the state budget be adopted and that it is no longer postponed.

JUSTICE

Trud, 24 Chasa and Telegraph write that the Prosecutor's College of the Supreme Judicial Council appointed the judge of the Supreme Court of Cassation, Elena Karakasheva, to the position of Deputy Prosecutor General. The proposal was made by Acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov. It was adopted by eight votes to none. The decision of the magistrates comes into force on September 1, 2023. Currently, Sarafov has one deputy, Maria Pavlova. She was elected by the Prosecutor's College on the proposal of Sarafov on June 19.

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Trud and Telegraph report that the prosecutor in the Barcelonagate case  was removed from the investigation due to misconduct. Disciplinary proceedings have been instituted against prosecutor Stefan Hristov, which comes after the published results of the state prosecution's inspections of cases against magistrates and politicians. The inspection was appointed by Acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov. The interim results showed that prosecutor Hristov had delayed the pre-trial proceedings for the Barcelonagate case.

Mediapool writes that although he waived his immunity, GERB leader Boyko Borissov will likley not face charges in the Barcelonagate case for the foreseeable future, if he ever does. Mediapool and Sega report that the decree by the prosecutor from the Sofia Appellate Prosecutor's Office, Ludmil Koyumdzhiev, who is conducting the revision of the investigation into the landmark case up to this point, states that that so far not enough evidence has been collected for an organized criminal group for money laundering.

INTERNATIONAL

24 Chasa and Trud report that the CC-DB parliamentary group has requested information from the Bulgarian services regarding a speech of the Russian MP Pyotr Tolstoy. Bulgarian MP Ivaylo Mitkovski said that Tolstoy took the liberty of publicly declaring the Bulgarian Black Sea coast as Russian territory. CC-DB demanded that the State Agency for National Security (SANS) and the specialized services in Bulgaria go to the National Assembly and give a definite answer whether there is a reason for the Russian diaspora on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast to be perceived as a threat to civil peace in this  country and if there are signs of such expectations, what measures were taken to ensure the safety of Bulgarian citizens. CC-DB also insist that Russian ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova be summoned by the Foreign Ministry and give an official answer to the Bulgarian state whether the position expressed by Tolstoy is the official state position of the Russian government in relation to Bulgaria.

Mediapool adds that the Foreign Ministry has so far not contacted Mitrofanova, although earlier in the week Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov said he would contact the diplomatic service to take action. This is not Tolstoy's first such statement. In 2016, he said that Russia could buy all of Bulgaria. "We've already bought half the coast," he said, then explained that he was joking.

HOME AFFAIRS

24 Chasa, Mediapool and Trud write that the only candidate for director of the National Health Insurance Fund has  violated the law against money laundering, according to an official letter from the head of the State Agency for National Security (SANS) to the chairman of the Parliamentary Health Committee, Prof. Kostadin Angelov. On July 24, during a hearing in the committee, Stanimir Mihailov assured that he had notified SANS about the actual owners of the company Balkan Credit, where he served as executive director, and thus fulfilled his legal requirements. SANS refutes his statement. In its letter, uploaded to the website of the National Assembly, the agency wrote that it never received a document from Mihailov.

Telegraph reports that a state of emergency was declared in Haskovo region due to fires in almost all municipalities of the region, with the exception of Topolovgrad. The administration requested help from the Ministry of Defence, and military personnel assisted  in extinguishing the fires. Firefighters' work was hampered by the wind. Heavy equipment was sent to the fires in Dabovets and Rumelia to make clearings.

Trud reports that in June, a total of 1,910 migrants were detained, 50.7% more than the previous month (1,267). Of those detained, 163 people were caught while entering the country, 172 while exiting. Some 1,575 were found to be illegally staying inside the country, show data from  the Ministry of the Interior on the migration situation in Bulgaria. In January - June 2023, a total of 6,164 citizens of third countries were detained. Compared to the total number of detainees in the same period of 2022 (6,633), a 7.1% decrease was reported. Migrants detained inside the country in June were 1,575, which is 43.6% more compared to the previous month (1,097). Most were  citizens of Syria, Afghanistan and Morocco. As of June 30, 1,625 people were accommodated in the centers of the State Agency for Refugees, and their capacity was filled to 45.2%. Most of the accommodated are Syrian citizens. Of the 1,772 people admitted in June, 1,224 left voluntarily, and 253 were granted protection.

Trud, Duma, Sega, Mediapool, Telegraph report that the National Investigation Agency and the Department of Transport are taking over the investigation into Wednesday's agricultural plane incident. The machine crashed early this morning near Radnevo, and the 70-year-old pilot died. He was processing rice plantations. Investigators rejected the initially circulated version of a bird getting into the machine's engine and are focusing on four other possible causes of the plane crash: human error, the health of the pilot, the technical condition of the machine and weather conditions. 

ECONOMY

Telergraph reports that Bulgarian yoghurt has been entered in the European Register of Protected Designations of Origin and Protected Geographical Indications. Agriculture Minister Kiril Vatev said that the registration will give processors a competitive advantage in the market, and for consumers there will be an additional guarantee of origin and quality. Bulgarian yoghurt is the second Bulgarian product to be registered as a protected designation of origin after the Strandzha manov honey.

Telegraph reports that prices in hotels and guest houses will increase beginning of August by between 10% and 20% compared to July, or 200 BGN more for a week's vacation. In three star hotels, the price per night will increase to BGN 100-120 from the current BGN 80 per room. In  luxury accommodations, a night in August on an all-inclusive basis will cost BGN 300-350, up to BGN 600-700. The average price for a weekly family vacation with two adults and two children is BGN 2,500, which is about BGN 500 more than last year. Owners of houses in Sozopol commented that this year the season is very slow. In order to fill vacancies, some  hotels have announced discounts for last minute bookings in the range of 10-20%. Restaurant prices are also rising in the peak of the season. Usually the increase is about 10% on the entire menu. For example, a Greek salad from 13 BGN goes up to 15 BGN, and seafood delicacies such as mussels and squid go up by BGN 1-2 per portion.

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Mediapool and Sega write that after not receiving an offer from Sofia Municipality for his shares in the Maria Luiza Aquapark in the  Borisova Garden, businessman Rumen Gaitanski, known as Vulka [the Wolf], has decided to make his own offer. He proposed that the municipality acquire his share in the property, which has been crumbling for years, in exchange for 24 municipal properties around Sofia. According to a reference in the cadastre, the total area of the municipal land that Gaitanski wants is over 32,600 square metres. The Maria Luiza Aquapark has an area of 30,000 square metres. Among the assets of the company that owns it is also the Summer Theatre in Borisova Garden. Its area is nearly 2.6 hectares.

Sega, Mediapool note that with a decision by the Minister of Economy, Bogdan Bogdanov, the board of directors of the Industrial Zone National Company s has been reduced from five to three. Konstantin Palaveev has been appointed as the executive director. The purpose of the changes is to implement a comprehensive new policy for the development of industrial zones and parks, tied to specific sectors and based on a regional principle (with an emphasis on Northern Bulgaria), the Ministry of Economy stated.

24 Chasa notes that former head of BDZ Passenger Transport, Lyuben Nanov,  was appointed as the new director of the Railway Administration Executive Agency, which is a regulator of the railways and controls the quality of transport. Its long-time director Veselin Vasilev, who has been in this position since 2010, has been replaced.

In a bTV morning interview, Bulgarian Association of Restaurants President Richard Alibegov, expressed unwillingness to  work with the current Minister of Tourism. "We will wait for better times," said Alibegov. Tourism Minister Zaritsa Dinkova's resignation was requested over the weekend by the restaurateurs' organizations because of a controversial incident with  expensive steaks in a restaurant in Varna. The Minister sided with consumers and called on restaurateurs to reconsider their behavior. "We define the government policy and state of governance as desperate. This systematic problem is not from this government, it was inherited from the COVID crisis, the war and all our internal problems," said Martin Zahariev, Vice Chairman of the National Board of Tourism Bulgaria. He said that , the money for the industry in the state budget is not only not increasing, but decreasing.