site.btaMedia Review: October 13

ENERGY POLICY AND VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE

A vote of no confidence will be held on October 13 against the government of Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov in regard to the cabinet's energy policy. The topic is covered extensively across all media on Friday.

24 Chasa has an extensive story on the vote for non-confidence, titled "Fatal Friday the 13th, but not for the cabinet" - according to the media outlet the superstition around Friday the 13th being an unlucky day will not affect the government and the vote will fail. The daily points out that the opposition in Parliament, formed by BSP, There is Such a People and Vazrazhdane, can muster only 71 votes against 121 needed. The article underlines GERB leader Boyko Borissov's statement on Thursday that his party will support the cabinet in the upcoming vote, which in practice is decisive for its outcome. 24 Chasa also quotes Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov that "the only failure lies in the opposition's attempts to lie to the people that an energy apocalypse is coming". He adds that the closure of coal plants is not happening because of the government and Brussels, but under pressure from the energy market as newer technologies are coming in.

Trud features a two-page article on the BLion investment project, which envisages the transformation of the Maritsa East energy complex into a hydrogen valley, where green hydrogen will be produced from solar power. The first page is based mainly on criticism from There is Such a People MP Pavela Mitova towards the government and Energy Minister Rumen Radev. "Miners are being thrown out on the street, all power plants are going to gas, we are all paying the bill again, and a handful of charlatans will become billionaires," she argued, describing the eventual results of the transformation. Radev's response is also reflected, as he defines BLion as a concept, not a project, and points out that it will be realized without any public funding.

Duma's top story reflects the BSP's plans to ask for another vote of no confidence against the government if the first is not supported. The daily quotes BSP leader Korneliya Ninova as saying that her party will table a second no confidence motion as early as next week, and the reason will be the government's policy when it comes to national security and defence.

Telegraph also covers the story.

On Bulgarian National Television's morning show, Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov stated that a vote of no confidence should be tabled for the government's overall policy. His party is one of the sponsors of the October 13 vote of no confidence. "Around 200,000 people will be out of work. That is why we accuse the government of killing a part of the country and genocide," he said.

RUSSIAN CHURCH

Duma reports that Protoiereus Vladimir Tischuk was appointed as the new rector of Church of St Nicholas the Miracle Worker in Sofia.

Trud also covers the story, pointing out that the former rector Archimandrite Vassian (Zmeev), Protoiereus Yevgeny Pavelchuk and associate Vladimir Bonko, were expelled from Bulgaria on charges of espionage.

Duma does not mention the reason for the expulsion but quotes a Russian Orthodox Church's statement which expresses "categorical protest in connection with the rude and discriminatory actions of the Bulgarian authorities to expel Vassian (Zmeev) from the country under false pretenses". 

24 Chasa provides a brief biography of Tischuk and points out that he has not yet arrived in Sofia. Neither the Holy Synod nor the Russian Embassy has said when this will happen in order for the church to be unlocked, the daily writes.

POLITICS

Telegraph writes that the war in Israel and the state's reactions to the risks it brings have reignited the debate about how the services responsible for national security function. The media outlet points out that there is division on the topic - it quotes GERB leader Boyko Borissov as saying that the services are exercising vigilance and caution, while Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria co-leader Kiril Petkov argued that he learned more about the situation from CNN than from the State Agency for National Security's report.

24 Chasa writes that a covert war to control the special services has been fought in Bulgaria for years. The daily recalls that President Rumen Radev's first move after appointing Stefan Yanev's caretaker government in 2021 was to order a change of special services chairs, which was followed by action against Continue the Change co-leader Kiril Petkov. "Against this backdrop a change of service chairs and their reform are imperative," the media outlet argues but at the same time criticizes the current cabinet for going to the opposite extreme and aiming to take any control away from the head of State.

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24 Chasa and Trud cover the GERB-UDF’s nominee for Sofia Mayor Anton Hekimyan local elections campaign while Duma covers the campaigns of BSP’s nominees for Vidin and Vratsa. 

Nova Television's morning show featured the first TV debate between Hekimyan and CC-DB/Save Sofia candidate Vassil Terziev, who is considered by polls to be his main rival at the Sofia local elections.

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"The eternal war in the Middle East has reignited," reads the headline of Capital's main story, referring to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

On bTV's morning show, Foreign Ministry's Situation Centre Directorate Director Tanya Dimitrova said that so far 42 Bulgarian citizens have expressed a desire to travel to Bulgaria on a charter flight between Tel Aviv and Sofia, which will take place on Friday evening. "We are in contact with 240 citizens, not all of whom want to leave,” she explained. Dimitrova commented on information that a place on the flight costs EUR 200: "This is not true. We are in contact with every single person. So far no one has said they cannot pay for their ticket. Each case is dealt with individually. When we have such a case, the Ministry will do everything possible to get these people tickets. It's not realistic that 400 people do not have EUR 200 to pay for their ticket," she stressed.

The Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) reported that the Prosecution Office warned it would be relentless in ensuring public order and security, as the media outlet added that the statement was made in connection to planned marches in support of the Islamist group Hamas, which attacked Israel on October 7. Local authorities in cooperation with the Interior Ministry will not allow mass events that would give rise to calls for violence, radical actions, and those that justify terrorist actions and war crimes, BNR quoted the Prosecution Office as saying.

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Trud features an extensive interview with the leader of left-wing party ABV, Rumen Petkov, who criticizes the government. He says that the cabinet "is killing the State and ruining the Bulgarian people.” Petkov argues that Bulgaria "is completely inadequate and unproductive in its memberships in the European Union and NATO, because it does not ask for anything, but only gives."

ECONOMICS

Capital writes that Bulgaria's plans to join the euro zone in early 2025 could be hampered by inflation. The World Bank's autumn economic forecast indicates that inflation in this country will continue to decline but will remain high in 2023 - the institution's economists expect consumer prices in Bulgaria to register an average annual growth of 9.8%, which is significantly above the Euro benchmark.

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24 Chasa quotes US Department of State data, according to which in a year Bulgaria has reduced the number of denied visas to the US by 8%. Bulgaria's rejection rate is around 10%, which is still far from the 3% that qualifies countries to join the US Visa Waiver programme and allows their citizens to travel to the US without obtaining a visa.

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Duma has a story on gas price increase in November. Bulgargaz forecasts 11.4% higher price compared to October. The price of gas traditionally goes up in the autumn, and its current rise is also affected by the conflict in Israel, as the country has temporarily halted production from one of its largest oilfields, the daily notes.

HEALTHCARE

In an interview with Telegraph, nutrition and diet specialist Donka Baikova states that one in three children is overweight.