site.btaMedia Review: July 25

HEADLINES

No single topic dominates the news media on Thursday.

24 Chasa carries a story about Wednesday’s meeting of the parliamentary ad hoc committee investigating entrepreneur and Velichie party’s mastermind Ivelin Mihaylov, which found that a total of 28 probes have been conducted into Mihaylov and his associates since 2016. The story lists some of the allegations based on which the probes were launched, including illegal sale of shares, designing a pyramid scheme, and illegal acquisition of property, among others. According to the daily, the only time Mihaylov has ever been sanctioned was after the first probe, which found that he had been involved in illegal lending along with Pazardzhik Mayor Todor Popov and his associates. As a result, a company of Mihaylov’s was fined BGN 20,000, later reduced to BGN 15,000. 

24 Chasa also writes about Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) Floor Leader Delyan Peevski’s move to refer to the Interior Ministry, the prosecution office, and the State Agency for National Security a report by an ad hoc committee in the previous Parliament into corrupt practices at the National Customs Agency. The daily quotes the committee’s chairperson and TISP floor leader, Toshko Yordanov, as saying that he personally submitted the report to the prosecution service two months ago, but the service has not acted on it. 

In its lead story, Trud writes that Bulgarians live a shorter but higher-quality life compared to the rest of the EU Member States. The daily quotes Eurostat data, according to which Bulgaria ranks last in the EU in life expectancy. However, this country recorded the second-highest number of healthy life years for women (68.9 years), following Malta (70.3 years).

Also on its front page, Trud has a story about a Roman sarcophagus found on a beach on the northern Bulgarian Black Sea coast on Tuesday and an article saying that October 13 is the most likely date for snap parliamentary elections. 

Citing epidemiologist Prof. Todor Kantardzhiev, Telegraph reports on an outbreak of two deadly viruses in India: Chandipura and Nipah. Kantardzhiev says that both viruses can cause encephalitis, with the former posing a greater risk for children and the latter affecting both young and old and having a mortality rate of between 50% and 70%. The epidemiologist adds that there are currently no licensed treatments for these viruses and advises people to avoid travelling to exotic destinations.

Duma’s top story bears the headline: "BSP Calls for Ban on Laughing Gas". The daily quotes Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) acting leader Atanas Zafirov as saying that BSP for Bulgaria has tabled proposals for changes to the Health Act, which include a complete ban on the sale of laughing gas and a dramatic increase in fines for failure to comply with it.

POLITICS

24 Chasa runs an interview with political analyst and co-founder of the Trend Research Centre Dimitar Ganev, who comments on the prospect of government formation and the likely snap parliamentary elections. Ganev says that he expects There Is Such a People (TISP) or BSP to receive the third exploratory mandate after the failure of the previous two and expresses no hope that a cabinet will be formed. He said that it is possible for parties and leaders that are unfamiliar to the public to emerge in a matter of weeks if parliamentary elections are held, given the low voter turnout and large protest vote. Ganev says it is likely that GERB and Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria will be willing to hold talks on the formation of a regular government in the next Parliament. He identified TISP as a possible coalition partner and noted that BSP’s new acting leadership also seems cooperative. 

Telegraph has a story titled: "GERB Extends Hand, Calling for Broad Support Following Elections”. The daily quotes GERB leader Boyko Borissov as speaking in Parliament on Wednesday and urging parties to adopt "the principle of shared responsibility" after the snap parliamentary elections that are expected to be held in the autumn if the third mandate fails. In response to a question by Trud, Borissov said that GERB-UDF will hold talks with all parties in the next legislature without exception. 24 Chasa also covers this topic. 

Speaking on the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR), TISP MP Stanislav Balabanov said that his party is ready to receive the third mandate, and if they do, they will hold talks with everyone, including the independent MPs. As to the report on corruption at the National Customs Agency, Balabanov said that Toshko Yodanov and he submitted the report to the Sofia City Prosecution Office on the same day it was released.

On bTV’s morning programme, Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov ruled out the possibility of a cabinet being formed under the third mandate following the collapse of Velichie and MRF. Kostadinov said that nevertheless, they have a cabinet lineup ready in case President Rumen Radev hands them the mandate. He specified that the composition does not include only members from Vazrazhdane, adding that “no party can rule alone at the moment, and there must be a cabinet of broad national consensus”. Kostadinov was adamant that snap elections are inevitable.

Political analysts Hristo Panchugov and Georgi Kiryakov were guests at the Nova TV morning programme where they discussed whether the third mandate is doomed and the prospects that possible elections in October may offer. Kiryakov said that the third mandate will fail because of the fragmentation within the parties themselves. GERB emerges as a "stable alternative to the collapse of the other political entities", Panchugov noted. "There are groups in society that do not have representation yet, and this opens up an opportunity for new dynamics in the next parliament, but also for a lot of radicalization. After the processes in the MRF, the idea of confrontation between different groups will become a major part of the next campaign". Both analysts agree that Peevski’s influence in MRF is weakened and that a redistribution of power is to be expected. 

24 Chasa writes about the appointment of new governors of the southern regions of Kardzhali and Smolyan on Wednesday, less than a month after the last reshuffle. Mediapool.bg also covers the topic with a story headlined: "Glavchev Removes Dogan's people and Keeps Peevski’s". The media outlet says that caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev has replaced the regional governors of Kardzhali and Smolyan, Resmi Murad and Rumen Pehlivanov, with Nikola Chanev and Zahari Sirakov, respectively. "When they were appointed regional governors, both [Murad and Pehlivanov] were considered people of the Magnitsky-sanctioned [MRF chairperson] Delyan Peevski. However, after the beginning of the rift in the party, both Pehlivanov and Murad pledged their support for the MRF honorary chairperson, Ahmed Dogan," Mediapool.bg writes.

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Former Defence Minister Todor Tagarev appeared on Nova TV’s morning programme to comment on the impact the appointment of Nikolay Nenchev as Bulgarian charge d’affaires in Ukraine will have on this country’s foreign policy. 

Sociologist Yuri Aslanov gave his take on the topic on the bTV morning programme. He said that the fact that Bulgaria did not have an ambassador in Ukraine for a couple of years suggests that “our political elite seems to have decided either to wait for the war in Ukraine to end, or to wait for the November 5 elections in the US”. 

Citing unnamed sources in the former Denkov-Gabriel cabinet, 24 Chasa writes that the reason why Petar Tanev, who was nominated to serve as Bulgarian Ambassador to Ukraine by former Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel in 2023, was not appointed was the fact that his ex-wife was a Russian national. 

bTV writes that the Head of State has not issued a decree on his appointment because a formal Council of Ministers decision has not been submitted to him as is required by the established procedure. According to the media outlet, former prime minister Nikolay Denkov did not sign the proposal for the appointment of Tanev as ambassador because of Tanev’s ties with the Russian Federation.

Speaking on bTV’s morning show, Tanev dismissed the argument about his Russian ties as “a narrative introduced by people who are opposed to the idea of an analyst and a person who has only worked in hot spots becoming a diplomat”. He said that he has been “dragged into a dispute at the institutional and political level, which I have nothing to do with,” adding that this “internal scandal” has a negative impact on bilateral relations and Ukraine's attitude towards Bulgaria as a reliable strategic partner. 

JUSTICE

24 Chasa has a story about the European Commission’s (EC) 2024 Rule of Law Report published on Wednesday. Titled "EC’s Report: Bulgaria Has Made Positive Constitutional Changes but No Progress in Fighting Corruption", the article outlines the six recommendations the Commission made to Bulgaria. The topic is also covered by other dailies.

Interviewed on Bulgarian National Television (BNT), Ivan Bregov, a legal expert at the Institute for Market Economics, said that there is progress compared to previous years. He believes this is due to the fact that the numerous recommendations on the structure of the judiciary are being implemented.

CULTURE

24 Chasa gives front-page prominence to a story about the Roman sarcophagus accidentally discovered by a former police officer on a beach in the St St Constantine and Helena resort, on the Black Sea, on Tuesday. The daily says that the artefact has been transported to the Regional History Museum in Varna. 24 Chasa quotes the museum’s director, Igor Lazarenko, as saying that the find dated to 2-3 century AD is not typical for the northern part of the country where it was found and adding that the ornamentation indicates that it likely originates from Western Bulgaria. Trud also has a story about this. 

ENERGY

Telegraph has an interview with Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association Chairman Vasil Velev, who comments on high electricity prices, their impact on businesses, and the planned increase in the minimum wage.

SECURITY

Trud carries an interview with Ognyan Stoichkov, a member of the National Special Intelligence Devices Control Bureau (NSIDCB), who comments on the attempt on former US President Donald Trump’s life. Stoichkov gives his take on the recent hearing of now-former US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who resigned after security failures surrounding the assassination attempt. He says that following the shooting incident, Trump "has become the new Che Guevara: his image with blood-stained cheeks and raised fist appears on T-shirts and souvenirs and people get it tattooed". Stoichkov also comments on the use of special intelligence means (SIMs) in Bulgaria, noting that according to NSIDCB’s annual report, the requests for their use in 2023 (4,340 of which 3,594 have been granted permission) have gone down compared to 2019 (6,039 of which 5,396 were allowed). He said that election crimes rank fourth among all crimes for which SIMs are used. NSIDCB has found that nine members of the public have been illegally wiretapped in 2023. Responding to a question, he said that SIMs were used regarding three magistrates in 2023.