site.btaMedia Review: November 20

Two topics that dominated print and online media on Monday were the severe weather conditions in Eastern Bulgaria, the hijacked cargo ship Galaxy Leader with two Bulgarians on board. 

All print media has frontpage headlines on the dangerous weather in the east. The top story in Telegraph is on roadway noise, the daily writes that 48,000 “do not sleep”, and that the noise affects “heart and psyche”. The main headline on the front page of Duma is about the state budget and quotes Bulgarian Socialist Party leader Korneliya Ninova promoting policies proposed by her party. Trud’s main front-page story is on high heating bills in the winter season. 24 Chassa’s top headline is on how relatives “abandon hundreds in hospitals” – a trend observed before the winter holiday season. 

The morning programmes of the Bulgarian National Television (BNT), bTV, and Nova TV feature discussions on the backwash of Thursday protests in the capital against the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) leadership. 

A headline on the frontpage of Trud is a reference to an article from The Wall Street Journal – “It’s Time to End Magical Thinking About Russia’s Defeat”. The Bulgarian subtitle reads that there are no indications that Putin is losing the war and that Russian oil companies are now working with China and India. 

SEVERE WEATHER CONDITIONS 

The morning programmes of BNT, bTV, Nova TV feature interviews with state officials on the current weather conditions in eastern Bulgaria and the measures taken to alleviate the after-effects of the natural disaster. Many roads along the Black Sea coast are closed, key infrastructure is damaged, two have lost their lives. 

Telegraph writes on its frontpage that “a nameless hurricane has swept Bulgaria”. 

Trud writes that hurricane Frederick has hit roads and schools. 

Duma has photos of wrecked vehicles in the bad weather on its front page. 

24 Chasa writes that “the sun will shine today [Monday]” and features photos of the storm’s aftermath. 

HIJACKED CARGO SHIP GALAXY LEADER 

The front page of Trud has a title that a ship with Bulgarians on board has been hijacked by Yemen’s Houthi. The subtitle says that Israel is accusing Iran of piracy.

Mediapool.bg writes that the hijacked Israeli-owned cargo ship Galaxy Leader, having two Bulgarians on board, is owned by a British company, part of which is owned by one of Israel's richest men, Abraham (Rami) Ungar. The article reads that Ungar is a sponsor of the Naval Academy in Varna. According to the school's website, for the past 20 years Ungar's company has helped to organize training, employ graduates of the school, and improve educational facilities.

In an interview for the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) retired Vice Admiral of the Bulgarian Navy said that there have been no hijackings of ships so far by Yemen's Houthi movement, but they have announced that they will take action against Israeli ships and that their demands will be political. In his words, this is an "extremely dangerous precedent" that takes the conflict from Gaza to the maritime spaces.

Arabist Prof. Vladimir Chukov commented on the case on the morning programme of Nova TV and said that “Bulgaria cannot play alone, but together with its partners must try to get in contact not so much with the hijackers as with the commissioners of this action – Iran”. He also appeared on the morning programme of BNT.

ECONOMY 

Former Finance Minister Simeon Dyankov says in an interview for Trud that the state budget is being planned in such a way that it misleads the public of including relevant social policies. He is also of the opinion that planning is done without consideration of the month after March-April 2024, when Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov is to give up his position to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel, following the rotational principle they agreed on when forming a regular government. According to Dyankov it is “dangerous” for Bulgaria to enter the euro zone without solid economic prerequisites.

* * *

The top headline in Trud is on high heating bills in the winter season. The title reads “shocking bills stuff the government’s budget”. The daily writes that the reason for that is Finance Minister Assen Vassilev’s “desire” to increase the state budget. The daily writes that household consumers will pay a little over 10% more if relying on the central heating system, due to VAT being reintroduced in the price. Heating with air conditioners will also become more expensive, leaving natural gas and wood the cheapest options for the season. 

* * * 

Denvnik.bg writes that it is possible that the state once again releases government bonds for citizens as it was done at the dawn of democracy in Bulgaria. After interest rates on deposits began to fall to levels close to zero and remained there, money savers in Bulgaria saw an alternative for their money only in buying property. The local stock market is not booming, and in the years of its more turbulent development, a relatively small stratum dared and had the knowledge to invest in it anyway. Hence people with spare funds have either been buying property or accumulating deposits. At the same time, representatives of the investment community have said that it makes sense in this situation for the state to put government bonds for sale directly to citizens, as was the case at the dawn of democracy and the Bulgarian Stock Exchange is working on such a project. The data from the banks indicate an increased interest in such securities in the last six months to one year at least.

HOME AFFAIRS

The topic of the introduction of e-prescriptions is also on the front page of Trud. The daily quotes Health Minister Hristo Hinkov saying that he is blaming drug traders for any missing drugs in pharmacies. The headline reads that elderly medical practitioners will prescribe medicines on paper; however, all drugs will be prescribed with e-prescriptions as of 2024. 

* * * 

Transport Minister Georgi Gvozdeikov comments in an interview for Telegraph on planned supply of new trains for the Bulgarian State Railways. He says that filed complaints to the Commission on Protection of Competition are delaying the implementation of the orders, but he is optimistic that the new infrastructure will be installed in the best time and way for Bulgarians.

POLITICS 

Interviewed on the Bulgarian National radio (BNR), Svetoslav Zhivkov, a historian who was a municipal councillor candidate of Save Sofia, said there were two options to end the stalemate in the capital's Municipal Council, which failed to elect a chairperson at its first meeting on November 13. CC-DB has 23 councillors in the 61-member Municipal Council, GERB-UDF has 14 and BSP for Bulgaria has 9. One option is for the winner - the coalition of Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) and Save Sofia - to work with runner-up GERB; the other is for the winner to work with the Bulgarian Socialist Party. Zhivkov said GERB's opposition to the election of the winner's nominee for the chairmanship, Boris Bonev, is in retaliation for yet another CC-DB election campaign based on anti-GERB rhetoric, "ostracism and burning all bridges". Zhivkov believes the chairperson will represent either the largest coalition in the local parliament or one of the three smaller political groups.