site.btaMedia Review: January 22

POLITICS 

The newly formed regular Cabinet continues to dominate the media. 

Capital: Nearly a week after the Government of the triple coalition of GERB, BSP, There Is Such a People (TISP), supported by [Ahmed] Dogan's faction Democracy, Rights and Freedoms - DRF, was elected by Parliament and began its work, its coalition council held its first meeting Tuesday. The council will make the important decisions and will make personnel appointments in the executive branch. It passed without the participation of Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, who is on his first visit to Brussels for meetings with the presidents of the European Commission and the European Parliament, Ursula von der Leyen and Roberta Metsola, as well as with European Council President António Costa. The meeting of the coalition council was attended by Deputy Prime Ministers Tomislav Donchev (GERB) and Atanas Zafirov (BSP), Finance Minister Temenuzhka Petkova (GERB) and Social Policy Borislav Gutsanov (BSP).

According to the agreement signed by the three parties, this body is called the Joint Governance Council (JGC) and it includes three representatives each of GERB, BSP and TISP and two from Dogan's faction, as well as various ministers and experts on specific issues. It is envisaged that the decisions in it will be taken by consensus, and the JGC will be convened once every two weeks, and in emergency situations this can be done at the request of at least two of the three parties that signed the agreement. The Dogan faction joined the document through an annex to the agreement.

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Trud runs an op-ed which discusses the recent political developments in Bulgaria, focusing on the formation of a regular government after nearly a year of caretaker administrations. The formation of a parliamentary majority through an un likely coalition raises questions about its ability to govern effectively. While it may not make radical decisions, the Government’s main goal is to overcome the parliamentary crisis that has plagued the country for a long time.

The Cabinet is seen as well-structured and balanced, with a Joint Governance Council that includes representatives from the three main parties, as well as the DRF. The decisions will be made by consensus, and the rotating chairmanship indicates good will and pragmatic decision-making. The article emphasizes that the Government is more aligned with current global political realities than a previous potential coalition with GERB, which would have been less effective given the rising tensions around U.S. politics and Bulgaria's place within Europe.

The article also explores the internal risks for the participating parties. The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) is on the brink of extinction and may struggle to survive, while There Is Such a People faces challenges due to its previous promises not to work with GERB. GERB’s future is uncertain depending on the success of the new Government, as it could either solidify its political dominance or push it into opposition.

For DRF, their involvement remains critical, even though they don’t hold ministerial positions. Their support could determine the success of the coalition. The op-ed also criticizes the opposition, especially parties like Democratic Bulgaria and Continue the Change, for hypocritically condemning alliances with BSP while having previously cooperated with them.

The author acknowledges the complexity of the new Government’s path. It will face numerous challenges and may not succeed, but the lack of foreign influence in its formation is seen as a positive sign. This government has the potential to make independent decisions without relying on external approvals, offering a fresh opportunity for Bulgaria’s political future.

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The requested diplomatic immunity of a few MPs and the subsequent developments are once again in the media spotlight. The major media outlets report that Lena Borislavova of Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) has given up her MP immunity.

24 Chasa: Lena Borislavova said before the beginning of Parliament’s plenary session on Wednesday morning that she has given up her MP immunity.

Yesterday [Tuesday], Parliament Chair Nataliya Kiselova, introduced three draft resolutions to lift the immunities of Lena Borislavova from CC-DB, Dzheyhan Ibryamov and and Mario Rangelov from the MRF (Movement for Rights and Freedoms) party of Ahmed Dogan. The three of them did not renounce their immunity, so the next step is for the parliament to decide whether their protection should be lifted. The request to lift Borislavova’s immunity is due to an investigation into a document-related crime connected to the departure of the "Save Coral" association by Kiril Petkov, in order to become the caretaker Minister of Economy.

"This time was indicative and, in my opinion, it was rightly used to show how sharply, attentively, and vigilantly the Chief Prosecutor is investigating exactly what I am accused of, unlike many other crimes. For example, I would love to see the same vigilance and concern applied to investigations of the KTB thefts, the highway funds, the 'Eight Dwarfs' case," Borislavova commented. According to her, Sarafov "day and night" was asking what was happening with her immunity.

"After threats from Mr. Peevski that he would file a report with the prosecutor’s office for personal concealment, I think even a call from the Chief Prosecutor, I will keep my word and renounce my immunity. I am actually going to do it right now. I hope the Chief Prosecutor and future Chief Prosecutors—since Sarafov has only a few months left—will investigate cases like KTB, 'Eight Dwarfs,' Petyo "The Euro", all illegal influences, and thefts from municipal projects, state funds, with the same diligence and vigilance," Lena Borislavova said as she entered the National Assembly.

Former Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov, on the other hand, announced that GERB-UDF, BSP, TIPS, and MRF have already divided the leadership positions in the committees. "The idea is obvious—full control over both the government and its activities will be exercised by the parties in the ruling coalition. This is the result of yesterday's council meeting," he said after the first meeting of the coalition council yesterday.MRF-New Beginnings leader Delyan Peevski has threatened Parliament Chair Nataliya Kiselova that he will file a report against her. The reason is that Peevski believes that Kiselova personally delayed the vote to lift the immunities of two MPs from Ahmed Dogan's Democracy for Rights and Freedoms - Dzheyhan Ibryamov and Mario Rangelov. The immunities were requested late last year by Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov. Ibryamov is accused of influence peddling and Rangelov is facing a vote-buying case.

Along with this, the immunity of four other MPs, including Lena Borislavova from CC-DB, was requested to be lifted. It was Borislavova who told about Peevski's threat. Shortly prior to that she voluntarily gave up her immunity.

Dnevnik and bTV also cover the topic.

ECONOMY

Mediapool: The Sofia City Administrative Court has annulled the immediate implementation of orders issued by Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) Chair Maria Filipova, to stop the planned price increases for mobile subscription plans by the Yettel and Vivacom mobile operators. However, these decisions can be appealed within seven days before  the Supreme Administrative Court. Meanwhile, the court will rule on the legality of the orders themselves.

Yettel raised its fees between BGN 1 and BGN 3 at the beginning of January, promising additional minutes, megabytes, and higher internet speeds for customers, though many consumers expressed dissatisfaction as they did not need these extras. Vivacom had planned to increase prices by up to BGN 2 from February, citing increased costs for salaries, insurance, and network maintenance, but Filipova argued that this was illegal since the companies had not obtained customer consent.

The court noted that the CPC’s orders cited prohibited commercial practices, but price increases were not included in these practices. The CPC claimed that stopping the price hikes was necessary to protect important public interests and prevent harm to consumers. However, the court found that the CPC had not provided sufficient specific justification, especially considering that the price increase would only affect a portion of the services offered and excluded vulnerable groups.

Both telecoms, Yettel and Vivacom, argued that the CPC’s claims of widespread poverty were unfounded and that the increase was minimal, with the most vulnerable customers being exempt from the changes. The court agreed that enforcing the CPC’s order prematurely could cause harm to the companies if it was later overturned.

At this point, the price increases for Yettel and Vivacom remain in effect, with further legal proceedings to determine whether the CPC’s orders are legally valid.

HOME SCENE 

The media report on a series of bomb threats sent via email to dozens of schools across Bulgaria on Wednesday morning.

Bulgarian National Radio (BNR): Dozens of reports of planted explosive devices have been emailed to schools in several cities across the country.

The Interior Ministry explained that checks are being carried out.

Alerts have been issued for schools in Sofia, Stara Zagora, Vratsa, Varna, Sliven, Pernik, Dobrich.

There are more than 20 schools in Sofia that have received email alerts about planted explosive devices. Checks are carried out across all school buildings.

So far nothing of concern has been found anywhere, BNR has learned from its sources. The Ministry of Interior is checking the alerts received through emails that the possible sender of the emails is also being identified, and the cyber crime directorate is working on the case.

The alerts started early Wednesday morning, with the first alerts received in schools in Stara Zagora, Haskovo, Varna, Sliven and Pernik. This was followed minutes before 9 am by alerts in eight schools in Sofia.

According to the established procedure, once the checks are completed, classes can resume.

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The media report on a crash between a bus and a lorry along the Hemus Motorway near Sofia.

A bus and a lorry collided on Hemus Motorway in the area of the village of Zherkovo. The accident occurred on the 20th km marker southbound in the direction of Sofia, NOVA TV quotes the police as saying. The accident was reported at 9:15 am on Wedenesday. Some 20 people were on the bus.

The emergency medical centre said that two ambulances were immediately sent to the scene of the crash. An 18-year-old young man had suffered broken teeth and was taken to St. Anna's University Hospital. The 50-year-old bus driver was also admitted to the hospital with a head injury.

The other passengers were also examined but did not require hospitalization. Some of them left for Sofia with their own transport.

A large traffic jam has formed in the area of the accident. The column of cars is about 5 km long.  

Traffic is regulated by traffic police teams. At this stage, the cause of the crash is not clear, nor is it known whether alcohol and drug tests have already been carried out on the two drivers.

WORLD

The major media outlets in Bulgaria report about the fire in a hotel in Turkiye, which killed several dozen.

bTV: The tragedy at the popular Turkish ski resort of Kartalkaya in northwestern Turkiye, in which according to the latest figures 76 people died, among them many children, is a leading topic in the Turkish press Wednesday morning.

The fire broke out shortly before 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday, quickly engulfing the multi-story building as the facade of the 4-star Grand Kartal Alpine-style hotel is wooden.

The media quotes eyewitnesses' accounts of the horror they saw.

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US President Donald Trump has decided to withdraw the country from the World Health Organisation. According to Assoc. Prof. Mihail Okoliyski, who is a former WHO representative for Bulgaria and former deputy minister of health, this could isolate the US from global health security and information exchange.

WHO brings together six regional offices around the world and tries through very intensive communication with member countries to ensure good public health. In each member country, this is a complex mechanism that works with decision-making in which all member countries participate with various committees, through the World Health Assembly that takes place in May in Geneva. In fact, the idea behind the WHO's establishment back in 1948, with the United States being a founding member of the WHO, is to ensure health security around the world, he said.