site.btaMedia Review: July 23

Reactions to the appointment of Nikolay Nenchev as Bulgarian charge d'affaire in Kyiv dominated the media in Bulgaria on Tuesday.

President Rumen Radev criticized the Foreign Ministry for bypassing the established procedure and sending Nenchev as temporary head of mission to Kyiv after the head of State refused to decree his appointment as ambassador there. "I expect the Council of Ministers to propose to me a candidate for the post of Ambassador to Ukraine with proven qualities and professional expertise," Radev said. 

Vice President Iliana Iotova said the appointment was "a flagrant violation of the spirit of the Constitution" whose Article 98 spells out the President's powers to appoint the heads of diplomatic representations on a Council of Ministers' proposal.

Caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev said that the established procedure for the appointment of Nenchev has been duly followed. "Charge d'affaires require no confirmation or presidential decree", Glavchev said. "In Ukraine, the absence of an appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary for two years has led the Ukrainian government to propose a charge d'affaire. This practice aligns with a common global protocol used when a full ambassadorial appointment is not feasible," Glavchev said.

On Nova Television's morning show, Atlantic Council of Bulgaria's Co-Chair Ivan Anchev commented on the appointment of Nikolay Nenchev as charge d'affaire in Kyiv and the protest of this decision by President Rumen Radev. "Nikolay Nenchev was a good defence minister who for three years did as much as possible to detach Bulgaria from Russian influence in the military sphere," he said. While he disagreed with Radev's stance that Nenchev was not a suitable candidate for the position, he said sending him to Ukraine did not bode well for Bulgaria's Ukrainian partners, NATO and the European Union. "Any time you have representation below the level of ambassador, it speaks of a slippage in relations, something the Bulgarian Government is trying to avoid," the expert said.

HIGHLIGHTS

Trud leads with warning for an increase of the night-time electricity price. It says the night-time rate has gone up 6 times. “AC at home after work has become a luxury”, the story says. This expected development is for after the liberalization of the electricity market for households.

Telegraph also has the story about the likely effect from the liberalization of electricity market for household users. The paper quotes a report by the Economic and Social Council of Bulgaria, which says that measures are needed to offset the consequences of liberalization for energy efficiency and energy poverty. 

Another front-page story in Trud is about a wildfire which went down just before going into a church yard. The paper has a large photo of the church priest.

Telegraph has a front-page story about National Revenue Agency (NRA) inspectors finding that there was not a single cash register at a music festival on the coast. NRA would not reveal what the festival was. The paper says that the tax authorities are bringing to light businesses in the coastal resorts during the summer season. 

Duma leads with rising bank fees. Clients will be charged more for withdrawing cash. The paper also has a front-page op-ed about the rising ban charges. 

The headline of the cover story in 24 Chasa says that the car is dearer to Bulgarians’ heart than their home. That is the conclusion the paper makes from statistics showing that 70% of Bulgarians take out an insurance for their car but only 10% for their home.

POLITICS

Commenting on the current political situation in Bulgaria, in a Bulgarian National Radio interview, political scientist Ruzha Smilova said that President Rumen Radev is the only one who emerges victorious from the political crisis. "The winner in a rather pessimistic and negative situation is President Radev. Being the only winner of such a crisis, presidents in general, especially in their second term, are starting to seriously toy with the idea of increasing powers, and even of changing the model from parliamentary to presidential," she argued. In her words, the deepening crisis of the party system in Bulgaria only plays into the hands of sentiments to change the political system entirely. Smilova is convinced that, at this stage, Radev will not make serious effort to lead Bulgaria out of the crisis. In her opinion, the only thing he could do for the good of society is to give the third exploratory mandate to a political player who will win some time before Parliament is dissolved, thus delaying the return of the unfulfilled mandate so that the new election campaign can start in more peaceful circumstances in the autumn and be constructive. 

"Unfortunately, we are witnessing a political game with a negative outcome, in which those who win the short-term battles lose in the long-term ones," the political scientist argued, giving as an example the situation with the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF). There has been a disintegration of a leading systemic party (MRF), resulting from a zealous pursuit of short-term gains. The same is observed with GERB, Smilova added. There is a dogged pursuit of the idea that opponents should be beaten as much as possible, shown where their place is. The result: even by winning the elections for the 5th time, GERB is yet again unable to form a cabinet, which causes damage not only to GERB, but to the entire political system, Smilova added. Ruzha Smilova is adamant that Delyan Peevski, one of the two chairs in MRF, is trying to force elections, given his position as chair, as he can only lose influence over time because his opponents in MRF will only get stronger. According to the political scientist, there is no possibility of a rapprochement between GERB and CC-DB during the negotiations within the third exploratory mandate. However, it is more realistic that this will happen during talks in the next National Assembly, she added.

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On bTV’s morning show, Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) Deputy Floor Leader Bozhidar Bozhanov said that Bulgaria is in a political crisis of a systemic nature. "The President is also concerned about how we can get out of it," he said. Bozhanov added that he agrees with the head of State that it is wiser not to hold an election campaign in August because most people are on holiday. The best option for that would be in the fall, he said. "No, the President has not told us who he intends to hand the third government-forming mandate to. That is his decision. I assume that he will not give it to the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, because this party is split, and yet some stability is sought," Bozhanov added. CC-DB's Deputy Floor Leader argued that the unfulfilled second government-forming mandate will not bring negatives to the coalition. He stressed that CC-DB are open to talk with all the political forces - not only from the current Parliament, but also from the next one. In the new election campaign the coalition intends not to talk about who is bad, but to focus on what it can do for the Bulgarians.

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Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) returning the second exploratory mandate unfulfilled dominate the news coverage of Dnevnik. Formal Prime Minister candidate Nikolay Denkov accepted the mandate and immediately returned it to President Rumen Radev. "We'll stay true to our approach, keeping our long-standing priorities intact. Our goal is to shape a country that welcomes business and investors, enabling income growth, inequality reduction, and the provision of superior education and healthcare.  The battle against corruption isn't just a goal in itself," Denkov said. The former prime minister highlighted the group's goal to gain more public backing in the next elections to help carry out their plans against corruption. President Rumen Radev highlighted that despite the coalition's decision, formal procedures must still be adhered to. He symbolically presented and then retracted the folder containing the second mandate. "With this, I consider the procedure complete," Radev concluded.

***

In a front-page story, Trud writes that the constitutional changes adopted by the previous Parliament are faced with failure as the Constitutional Court is about to decide on their constitutionality. If the Court does not decide by the end of June, the decision will come in September, says the story. Another story on the matter says in the headline that “the judicial reform of Hristo Ivanov is going in the dumpster”. 

The revisions concerned a wide range of matters, including the elimination of the President’s role in the appointment of a caretaker government, the functioning of a Parliament even after it fails to elect a government, allowing the appointment of dual-citizenship holders as government ministers and reforms in the judiciary. They were contested before the Constitutional Court by President Rumen Radev, There Is Such a People and Vazrazhdane. 

Trud has a two-page set of stories on the matter.

***

Telegraph has a two-page interview with political analyst Stoycho Stoychev. He expects that the “assemblage” between Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria and GERB-UDF could continue in the next Parliament. He believes that the third – and last – exploratory mandate for forming a Cabinet will go to There Is Such a People; that the rift in the Movement for Rights and Freedoms between co-chair Delyan Peevski and Honorary Chairman Ahmed Dogan will end up in court; that whatever compromises are made between the political forces now, this Parliament can hardly produce a majority.

ECONOMY

Dnevnik reports that the Bulgarian Hotel and Restaurant Association has announced its readiness for strike action over the rise in electricity prices for businesses over the past month. At peak hours the price per megawatt-hour reaches up to BGN 2,000 and the bills will be unaffordable for businesses, the association said in a press release. Its members fear bankruptcies and demand that the state provide compensation for businesses. The hoteliers remind that they cannot economize during peak hours because they are obliged to provide food, hot water and coolness to their customers. The Association of Bulgarian Employers, which includes the four largest business associations, last week called for protective measures by the State.

***

In its "True or False" column, Capital writes about the CentralBbank forecasting 20% minimum wage increase The Bulgarian National Bank’s (BNB) macro forecast caused concern due to incorrect media reports of a 19.6% minimum wage increase. The BNB analyzes labor costs but does not set the minimum wage. The Ministry of Labour will determine the 2025 minimum wage in September. The Central Bank projects 10.2% compensation growth per employee in 2024, driven by economic activity, a minimum wage increase, higher public sector wages, and labour shortages. Growth is expected to slow to 7.5% in 2025 and 2026, potentially reducing Bulgaria's competitiveness. The unemployment rate is forecasted to drop from 4.4% in 2024 to 3.6% in 2026. The Labour Code amendments set the minimum wage for the next calendar year at 50% of the average gross wage, with preliminary data suggesting a 12.5-13% increase to BGN 1,053. The Department of Labor will finalize the numbers for 2025, and the Council of Ministers will approve them during autumn budget discussions. The central bank revised its economic growth forecast for this year to 2.1% and inflation to 2.2%, with lower energy prices and a slowdown in services inflation. Average annual inflation for 2024 is revised down to 2.5%, but inflation in administratively determined prices is revised upwards due to higher excise duties.

***

Telegraph reproduces a story from The Sun in the UK, saying that holiday bargain hunters will find the lowest resort prices for 2024 in Sunny Beach, Bulgaria, according to figures released by the Post Office.

***

Dnevnik quotes Firefighters' Union President Ventsislav Stankov as saying that 75% of the State's firefighting equipment has been updated, but there is a shortage of personnel. Firefighters have been using outdated protective clothing since 2012, despite its recommended service life of five years. Concerns about firefighting equipment's adequacy and age have been raised. Some gear is 40 years old, though 70% was bought in the past decade. Caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev is worried about the equipment's sufficiency. Stankov confirmed that 70-75% of the equipment has been renewed, with older vehicles remaining primarily in small settlements and minor regional services. District offices have ample equipment but face a shortage of employees, despite a high ratio of ten candidates per available position. Another issue is the lack of protective clothing for fighting forest fires. He explained that protective clothing was last procured in 2012, with a service life of five years. Two procurements of 2,400 sets each occurred during that period, and a later procurement attempt was unsuccessful. Firefighters, battling intense heat, resorted to working in T-shirts due to overheating. Interior Ministry neglects to provide uniform clothing, leading to a range of attire from worn green tarpaulin outfits to personal clothing. This issue is a constant struggle for the firefighters, said Stankov. He added the Ministry of Interior has not initiated a public procurement process to purchase test models for officers to evaluate their quality. Expired firefighter suits necessitate lab testing to assess their ongoing usability. If found suitable, they receive certification; if not, replacements are procured. The price for a new protective suit ranges between BGN 700 and 900.

SOCIETY

Dnevnik quotes the Bulgarian Camper Society as saying that the authorities are trying to ban camping. The Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works is making another covert attempt to bring back an old version of the regulation to the Spatial Development of the Black Sea Coast Act, which indirectly banned camping in Bulgaria. This is stated in a position of the Bulgarian Camper Society sent to the media. According to the organization, the caretaker cabinet of Dimitar Glavchev "blatantly ignored the last revision of the ordinance during the Denkov government, which conducts regulation and does not create prerequisites for a ban on camping." It said it would not attend "a completely illegitimate meeting of the Ministry of Regional Development on Wednesday, which is scheduled to consider an incorrect document". The organization is declaring protest readiness and informing that it will not participate uninvited in the task force meeting expected to be held Wednesday, July 24, at the ministry.

SECURITY

Dnevnik reports that a specialized police operation involving all security services is currently underway at Terminal 1, Sofia Airport posted on its Facebook page. "Vehicle and public transit access is temporarily suspended. However, the airport is operating as usual, with no impact on flights," the airport team said. Around 2 pm it confirmed that the police operation, which lasted approximately 40-50 minutes, had concluded and should not cause flight delays. The Interior Ministry and Prosecution Service have yet to release official information regarding the police operation. Reports by BTV suggest the operation was prompted by a forgotten passenger bag at the terminal.

US PRESIDENTIAL RACE

Trud writes that Open Society “wants Kamala Harris as POTUS”. The story is headlined “Soros Stands up against Trump”. Another story in this paper reports calls for President Biden to come down after he announced that his decision to drop out from the presidential race. A signed commentary in this paper is headlined “The Biden Catastrophe”. With more on the matter, Trud carries an interview with journalist Ognyan Daskarev who says (and is used in the headline) that the battle for Biden’s office will be between the Clinton and the Obama lobbies. Daskarev says it is remarkable that Barack Obama did not endorse Kamala Harris and that the worst-case scenario for Trump would be to have to run against Michelle Obama.

Kamala Harris is also in the international pages of Telegraph, Duma and 24 Chasa. The headline in Duma reads “Europe scared: Trump and Vance could change America's course”. 

According to 24 Chasa, Harris has been preparing for the White House “from her cradle”