site.btaMedia Review: January 14

CABINET FORMATION

On two full inside pages, 24 Chasa covers the ups and downs in the negotiations among GERB-UDF, BSP-United Left and There Is Such a People (TISP) on the formation of a cabinet headed by GERB's Rosen Zhelyazkov. The daily writes that Ahmed Dogan first tried to raise its price and then relented "responsibly". It was made crystal clear that Dogan's Democracy, Rights and Freedom (DRF) will not get cabinet portfolios but claims deputy minister posts and control over agencies in charge of agriculture, food and the environment. GERB does not want DRF to sign a coalition agreement between the three parliamentary parties. 24 Chasa quotes unnamed MPs as saying that if the cabinet is not voted through, Nataliya Kiselova may be ousted as National Assembly Chair because GERB leader Boyko Borissov resented her candid remarks that BSP does not want him for prime minister. The daily runs an infographic showing the tentative line-up of the Zhelyazkov cabinet: three deputy prime ministers: Tomislav Donchev (GERB), Atanas Zafirov (BSP) and one from TISP; ten ministers from GERB: Temenuzhka Petkova (finance), Daniel Mitov (interior), Georg Georgiev (foreign affairs), Atanas Zapryanov (defence), Georgi Georgiev (justice), Krasimir Valchev (education and science), Georgi Tahov (agriculture and food), Zhecho Stankov (Energy), Valentin Mundrov (electronic governance) and Miroslav Borshosh (tourism), four ministers from BSP: Ivan Ivanov (regional development), Borislav Gutsanov (labour and social policy), Manol Genov (environment and water) and Ivan Peshev (youth and sports), and four ministers from TISP: Silvi Kirilov (health), Marian Bachev (culture), Petar Dilov (economy and industry) and Grozdan Karadzhov (transport and communications).

Trud runs almost the same list, specifying that Vladimir Malinov may keep his job as energy minister (instead of Zhecho Stankov), Evtim Miloshev may stay on as tourism minister, and that the health portfolio may go either to Silvi Kirilov or Andrey Chorbanov of TISP. The same daily quotes excerpts from the draft coalition agreement dealing with the decision making machinery at the Joint Governance Council and the modalities of filling the National Assembly quotas in independent authorities that are wholly or partly elected by Parliament.

Interviewed on the morning show of Nova Television, political scientist Parvan Simeonov describes the Zhelyazkov cabinet proposal as "good news for Bulgaria, good news in the short term for GERB-UDF and also good news in the long term for Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB)." Boyko Borissov will initially govern with associate parties which he will most probably devour, i.e. this will be their end in the long term." In the same show, Dimitar Ganev is not yet sure that this kind of cabinet will be formed. He describes the support by the group around Ahmed Dogan as "somewhat problematic." In Ganev's opinion, a four-year term in office of this complicated structure is hardly likely.  

Speaking on Bulgarian National Radio (BNR), Vassil Tonchev of the Sova Harris polling agency said that there is a 90% likelihood for the parties in Parliament to agree on a government. "People will be hugely disappointed if this does not happen. Those who fail to do that will suffer badly in the next elections. The three parties that are negotiating are all part of the establishment," he said. Tonchev believes that Dogan seeks presence in the government and power. "If we look back, we will see that he never gave his support without asking anything in return. His support always came at a price. On the other hand, he is in a severe clash with MRF - New Beginning and compromises are not unlikely because it is a matter of survival for him," the pollster said.

"Negotiations in search of a majority for forming a Parliament-elected cabinet on GERB-UDF's madnate continue on Tuesday," GERB-UDF's Rosen Zhelyazkov, who has been slated as a possible future prime minister, said on Bulgarian National Television Tuesday morning. 

"Until everything is decided, nothing is decided. Speculations will continue until tomorrow [Wednesday], when we will receive the exploratory mandate. Whether we will take along a list of names depends on the way in which the negotiations with the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms will continue and end today [Tuesday]," Zhelyazkov told reporters.  

Replying to a question, he said that the cabinet lineup has been finalized.  

Approached by journalists about the possible composition of a future cabinet, Remzi Osman of DRF referred them to "the leadership". 

Nadezhda Yordanova MP of CC-DB said she believes it is quite clear that no negotiations are being held with her parliamentary group at this point. 

Vazrazhdane's Petar Petrov said his party would only support a cabinet formed on their own mandate. 

Hristo Ristashki of MECh said his party would not back a cabinet formed on GERB-UDF's mandate. 

On bTV's  morning show, PR specialist Diana Damyanova, journalist Silviya Velikova and Prof. Rossen Stoyanov, lecturer in political communications, discussed the chances of a regular government of GERB-UDF, BSP-United Left and TISP with the support of DRF. Damyanova commented that the version that people run in elections to form cabinets has been justified. "That has not been working in Bulgaria over the last six years but has started working now. You get some form of a government that is a club of interests, but they are anti-Bulgarian," she noted. According to her, DRF would back a regular government in exchange for a vote against the lifting of the MP immunity of Dzheyhan Ibryamov. According to Velikova, Ibryamov will prefer to waive his immunity, and there are things happening in the background of the negotiations that will prove more interesting. She recalled that TISP are yet to say who their deputy prime minister will be. According to Prof. Stoyanov, DRF will back the cabinet without having ministers in it because of the public opinion which is negative overall. 

JUDICIARY

www.dnevnik.bg has interviewed Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) Representative Member Boyan Magdalinchev about the activities of the Council, the expectations of the vote for Borislav Sarafov as the only candidate for prosecutor general due on January 16, and about the draft revisions to the Judicial System Act.

Asked whether there is an option for Sarafov withdrawing his bid, Magdalinchev says that this can only be the candidate's own decision, made at his discretion.

The interviewee says that it is not the SJC's fault that it functions after the expiry of its term in office and blames Parliament for failing to fill its quota.

Replying to a question, Magdalinchev says that he has not come under any external pressure to vote in a certain way and, as far as he knows the SJC members, they, too, have not been pressured in any direction whatsoever.

Asked about a way out of a vicious circle, in which the acts of the ad hoc prosecutor go to the prosecutor general, who is the subject of investigation, the interviewee says that a solution is in legislation. "The legislator attempted various other changes but the Constitutional Court rejected them," he comments. "The SJC is not vested with any investigating functions and cannot meddle in the work of these bodies, this is against the law," he explains.

Approached about doubts about the real reasons for the lack of candidates for president of the Supreme Administrative Court, as a result of which the outgoing President Georgi Cholakov was designated acting president, the interviewee says that magistrates refuse to apply for this office because of the tensions surrounding the judicial system as a whole, which is coming under probably the strongest attack in recent years. He denies that judges are either upset or influenced by the president to give up bidding for his office.

Replying to a question, the Representative Member says that a mixed panel of the Supreme Court of Cassation and the Supreme Administrative Court has determined categorically that the election of the judges' segment of the SJC professional quota did not violate the law and dismisses allegations to the contrary as "sheer absurdity". 

To another question, Magdalinchev argues that he is left with the impression that the proposed provisions amending and supplementing the Judicial System Act are intended to stop two individuals from entering a procedure. "An express law prohibits a particular person from bidding for a definite position. This is a worrying indication in principle." 

AHEAD OF JANUARY 20

Under the headline "Trump Again Kicked Europe's Ass", Valeri Naydenov writes in a tongue-in-cheek comment in 24 Chasa that "Trump's team has obviously decided to keep slapping Europe in the face verbally until it changes its chip. Alas, the present European leaders are meek, they mumble 'please stop it' and turn the other cheek. If De Gaulle was still president of France, he would have definitely claimed Louisiana back by now." 

In an analysis in Trud, Diana Damyanova points out that Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential elections leads to additional weakening of the liberal civic energy, of the ability of the liberal democratic sector to mobilize such energy, and opens up an opportunity of making bolder political constructs which exclude this sector in part of in whole. "The courage of Borissov and GERB to form this cabinet is entirely prompted by the new wind in world politics." "Borissov is a Trumpist-type leader, and Trump's win will give him wings - him and many other similar politicians in the world," the analyst notes.    

TAXES

In a two-page interview for Trud, former deputy finance minister Lyubomir Datsov comments on the budget situation at the beginning of 2025. Replying to a question, the expert says that a deficit of 3% of GDP and BGN 5 billion-plus revenues, targeted in the 2025 draft budget presented by the Finance Ministry, are unrealistic to achieve. "The purpose of the budget is not to pay wages and pensions, the budget is a mechanism for the State providing a definite type of services," the interviewee argues. He notes that there are huge disproportions in the pay of the military and the police and that their average salaries are already high, whereas Bulgaria has the EU's highest costs of public order and security. In Datsov's opinion, given that a lot of the planned budget revenues are mere wishful thinking, the gap would widen to over 8% of GDP or nearly BGN 16 billion excess of expenditures over revenues. He insists that the 32% GDP (BGN 65 billion) share of the grey economy, cited by Finance Minister Lyudmila Petkova, is overstated and 10-12% is a more realistic estimate. Statistics show that the grey sector has the largest share in agriculture, tourism and food services, and construction. In his opinion, a single VAT rate for absolutely all sectors is the better option from the point of view of public finance. "At this point industry is benefiting from VAT as an excuse to make a profit," the interviewee says. Asked whether Bulgaria stands a chance of joining the eurozone on July 1, 2025, Datsov says that "neither the problems with the inflation nor the inflation figures show that the country is ready, that prices or the budget are stable." "If we want to keep that new spending level in the budget as a result of the policies in recent years, revenues will have to be increased by raising traditional taxes. The budget cannot possibly be rebalanced without raising the taxes," he argues.

RUSSIAN COMPANIES

Duma reports that 7,132 commercial corporations in Bulgaria are wholly owned by Russian natural or legal persons, and in another 5,548 Russians hold an over 40% participating interest, including . The figures come from an answer by Justice Minister Maria Pavlova to an MP's question. Limited liability companies with a Russian citizen as a beneficial owner number 212.

PENSIONS

A signed item in 24 Chasa looks back on pension increases over the last 10 years, citing figures from the National Statistical Institute. Since 2015 the minimum monthly pension has been adjusted 18 times, rising by an aggregate of BGN 426,07, from BGN 157.44 to BGN 580.57 in 2024. The average pension has grown from BGN 321.78 in 2015 to BGN 835.91 in January 2024 (the highest being BGN 1,040.47 in Sofia, BGN 927.50 in Burgas and BGN 900.16 in Pernik). The highest pension is capped and has risen by BGN 2,560 in ten years, from BGN 910 in 2015 to BGN 3,400 in 2024.

Trud leads on the story, quoting the National Social Security Institute as saying that in January 2025 men's average monthly pensions, BGN 990, were BGN 260 higher than women's BGN 730 (BGN 1,233 and BGN 915, respectively, in Sofia). More than 84,000 retirees in Bulgaria (65,000 men and 19,000 women) receive pensions of BGN 2,000-plus. At the other end of the scale, as many as 423,000 Bulgarians (171,000 men and 252,000 women) draw minimum pensions of BGN 580.57.

ROAD TRAFFIC SAFETY

Interviewed on two full inside pages in 24 Chasa, State Agency Road Safety (SARS) Chairperson Malina Krumova says that for the first time in 30 years the 478 killed and over 9,000 injured in road traffic accidents in 2024 were both fewer than a year before. Last year SARS assessed 62% of the country's 62,000 km street network and 84% of the 15,000 km municipal road and grouped the separate stretches into five risk categories, the interviewee says. The Agency has also assessed 13,000 km of motorways and first-class roads and is categorizing their risk. This project is due for completion in 2025, when the results are to be reported to the European Commission. Krumova notes that as soon as it becomes clear that new elections are forthcoming, the number of accidents and the death tolls soars. "People change their behaviour when they mistrust institutions, they stop obeying the rules," she observes. The SARS Chairperson argues that crash control barriers must be installed between the carriageways of roads with heavy traffic so as to address the main cause for accidents: irresponsible overtaking. Malinova says that Traffic Police have only three speed cameras in Sofia and are adding two more, while there are 600 municipal traffic monitoring cameras of which part can measure speed, but they cannot be used for this purpose because the law has to be revised. The interviewee has ordered the formation of a working group which is drafting a new Road Traffic Act, which deals only with the rules, whereas everything else: roadworthiness tests, service maintenance, driver training, vehicles - should be regulated by a separate framework Road Transport Systems Act.

SPORT

Telegraph carries a detailed profile of Julio Velazquez, who is the new coach of Levski Sofia.