site.btaMedia Review: October 30

Negotiations on forming a regular government after the October 27 parliamentary elections dominate the media on Wednesday. 

POLITICS

24 Chasa quotes an interview of Trend Research Centre's political analyst Dimitar Ganev, who believes that the options after the results of the October 27 parliamentary elections are two - a majority with the participation of Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) or new elections. He stressed a detail that he believes is underestimated - the fact that in mid-November two constitutional judges appointed by President Rumen Radev will be sworn in. This will change the balance of power in the Constitutional Court regarding the return of the President's power to appoint a caretaker cabinets. "They were 6 to 6, they are about to become 7 to 5," the political scientist pointed out. If the election of a caretaker cabinet reverts to its old form, President Rumen Radev will have full freedom to appoint its members. Ganev argued that negotiations and attempts to form majorities in the new parliament will be conducted with the idea that the next caretaker government could be very different. "This would also mean an unpleasant situation for Delyan Peevski's new party, as the Interior Minister will be appointed by President Radev," he added.

On Nova Television's morning show, Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov discussed CC-DB's proposal to the other parliamentary groups in the 51st National Assembly to sign a declaration that they will not work with the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) - New Beginning parliamentary group in the future National Assembly in any form. Kostadinov said the party would sign the declaration if CC-DB signs two resolutions proposed by them. "Today they will receive a proposal to sign for a referendum to preserve the Bulgarian lev. The second decision is to preserve the TPPs and the coal industry," Kostadinov said. He also revealed that Vazrazhdane will have its own candidate for National Assembly chair.

On Nova Television's morning show, CC-DB Co-Chair Kiril Petkov said that the coalition will not accept GERB-UDF leader Boyko Borissov as prime minister and will not enter into government with Vazrazhdane. He stressed that so far the coalition had no response from any other political formation to the offer they made. Petkov pointed out that there are several tasks that can be achieved: to start the work of the Anti-Corruption Commission and to submit a legislative initiative that says that the Supreme Judicial Council with an expired term cannot elect a prosecutor general “so we can stop the election of Borislav Sarafov”.

On Bulgarian National Television's morning show, BSP - United Left member Gabriel Valkov said that the socialists will not enter coalition with GERB-UDF and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms. He reminded that this was a decision of the party national congress. In his words, before there is a new congress, with a new decision, there can be no change in this respect. Valkov stressed that the BSP - United Left can engage in negotiations with GERB on policies and not on positions. "I am not saying we will not go for talks. Politics is dialogue, we have our agenda, we can support certain policies," he explained. He argued that with eight parties in the 51st National Assembly, there are many options for forming a majority.

24 Chasa features a discussion between sociologist Ivo Zhelev and psychologist Ivo Igov on the attitudes of Bulgarians at the parliamentary elections on October 27. Regarding GERB's victory, Zhelev pointed out that when the result of the former is equal to the sum of those of the second and the third political forces, it is a serious claim for a leading role in forming the next government. He expressed optimism that a regular cabinet will be formed. Igov argued that the parties in the new government would share an economic affiliation rather than a political one.

ECONOMY

Mediapool features an article on how the suspension of the sale of "golden passports" in 2022 has affected foreign investment in the country. Their abolition and the tightening of the regime for residence visas in exchange for investment has led to a fifty-fold reduction in investment in Bulgaria by foreigners from outside the European Union, the media outlet states. A series of Mediapool investigations showed how businessmen close to the Kremlin have managed to settle for Bulgarian passports without making any real investments in Bulgaria, the article adds. The country was put under pressure by the EU and the US to stop selling so-called "golden passports" over suspicions of widespread corruption that put other EU countries at risk. The option of granting "golden visas" - residence permits in Bulgaria and the EU in exchange for investment - remained. However, the regime for granting them has been tightened - the threshold for investment in shares of Bulgarian companies has been increased from BGN 1 million to BGN 2 million. All this led to the refusal of foreigners to invest in Bulgaria in exchange for permanent residence. In response to Mediapool's questions, the Bulgarian Investment Agency reports that in the period 2018-2020, investments related to residency and citizenship procedures exceeded BGN 150 million per year. In the last three years, the total amount of investments made after obtaining "golden visas" in Bulgaria was only BGN 8.7 million, or 50 times less than in 2020. In the last three years, the Interior Ministry has issued only 4 "golden visas" to foreigners, according to data provided to Mediapool under the Access to Public Information Act. The foreigners in question are from Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine.

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In an interview with the Bulgarian National Radio, Petar Ganev, a senior economist at the Institute for Market Economics,  stressed the importance of forming a government to adopt a State Budget so that the country does not enter another year without one. According to him, the current situation is very similar to the two years when Bulgaria remained without a budget and entered the new year with the previous one. He underlined that no one would benefit from such a development. There are also at least 4-5 parliamentary decisions that need to be revised, he stressed, pointing out one of them - the military salaries. "You cannot raise 40% or 50% salary in a particular sector with 2% inflation. This decision has to be revised with some more sustainable one," he explained. The other decision he argued should be revised is that higher education should get a fixed minimum percentage of GDP. The economist described the decision as “chaotic”. Ganev explained that such automatic mechanisms lead to an increase in costs by 30-40% and upwards. According to him, there should be a normal growth of funds, not extraordinary. The economist is of the opinion that salary and pension increases will not be frozen next year. The eurozone is getting closer, he said. Forecasts have very much started to focus towards 1 January 2026, Ganev noted: "It seems to me that by the end of the year - the beginning of the next year, a window will open in which we meet the criterion."

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Trud features an interview with Teodora Peneva, a senior assistant at the Institute of Economic Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, on the country's electricity market. She pointed out that the Institute estimates that nearly 2 million Bulgarians are energy poor. "It is not clear how households will be compensated when they go to the free electricity market, but at the same time energy experts have warned that the price of electricity will rise. Forecasts are for a 16-18% rise in prices as early as next year. Postponing the full liberalization of the electricity market without concrete action by State institutions will only increase uncertainty for citizens. It is necessary to purposefully refine and provide funding mainly for the most vulnerable groups, to have a differentiated scale of support," she added.

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bTV reported that Atlantic bonito can once again be caught on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. "For two, three days I have had a lot of luck - two tons, half a ton, serious catches. Ten days ago we had none, but colleagues from Turkiye said schools of bonito are coming north and we expect a very good catch," said Vasil Georgiev, a fisherman from Tsarevo (South coast). According to him, Bulgaria has never seen such  large bonitos before - the size goes up to 1.5 kg per fish. The price ranges BGN 8 to 10 at retail, and BGN 6 to 7 for larger quantities.

HEALTH

Telegraph reports that some 100,000 more people have gone on sick leave on the State's account in the first six months of this year compared to the same period last year. The daily quotes figures from the National Insurance Institute which show that the most common reason why Bulgarians used sick leave was a viral infection, with upper respiratory tract infections coming second. Approximately one in ten working Bulgarians missed working days due to one of the two illnesses.