site.btaMedia Review: February 5

Discussions regarding State Budget 2025 dominate the media on Wednesday. 

STATE BUDGET

On Bulgarian National Television's morning show, GERB-UDF Deputy Floor Leader Denitsa Sacheva commented on the topic of VAT in the restaurant business. She said that there is still no final decision on what it should be - whether 9 or 20%: "The fact is that GERB made this commitment in its campaign.  On the other hand, it is a question of whether there will be a majority in the National Assembly for this commitment to be fulfilled, and it is also a question of balances that have to be made in the budget.” She also commented on the dismissal of Lyudmila Petkova as deputy finance minister and stressed that Petkova should not be held responsible for the controversy surrounding the state budget: "If we are looking for a person who should personally take the negatives, it can be only one person and his name is [former finance minister and Continue the Change Co-Chair] Assen Vassilev. There is no other person. But we have to stop dealing with this issue right now of who to blame because we have to look for the sensible, balanced solution for the country to move forward."

On Nova Television's morning show, There Is Such a People (TISP) MP Stanislav Balabanov blamed former finance minister and CC Co-Chair Assen Vassilev for problems in the state budget, giving no specific examples of Vassilev's actions. He argued that TISP proposed the abolishment of differentiated VAT for restaurateurs. "COVID-19 passed long ago and it is not logical that VAT is 9%, there should be a supplement to the budget of several hundred million through it. The aim is that the framework of the budget submitted at first reading will 99% not be changed at second reading. That is, the measure related to restaurateurs will be adopted as it is set," the MP said.

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Trud writes that the Association of Bulgarian Sports Federations insists on an urgent meeting with Finance Minister Temenuzhka Petkova and her team. The reason is the budget procedure and the inability of sports organizations to hold competitions from the Bulgarian and international calendar if the current parameters of state funding are maintained. The sports federations cannot even pay the salaries of their coaches and specialists, and some of them receive minimum wages, the daily adds.

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Trud features an interview with Education Trade Union President Julian Petrov on the state of the country's education system. At least a 15% increase in teachers' salaries is expected to be seen in Budget 2025, which is due to be presented within days, he said, adding that strike readiness by teachers is still on the agenda if that money is not provided in the financial framework for the year. Petrov pointed out that some 15% of teachers are under the age of 35. "The last 5 years there has been some interest in the profession, but it is not sustained. It is more of a cyclical interest - they come to work, they try to hold on, but they do not succeed. Eventually it is the women whose men can provide them with that teaching future who are retained in the system, because with two teachers in the family it is difficult to provide a sustainable family budget in a big city. Men are disappearing [from the system] and that is an indicator that the profession's rating is declining," he said.

POLITICS

A Trend Research Centre study commissioned by 24 Chasa shows that Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov’s Cabinet begins its term in office with the support of 32% of Bulgarians. Analysts note that similar approval levels were last recorded during the early months of Kiril Petkov’s government at the beginning of 2022. The Trend poll focuses on attitudes toward key institutions, political parties, and current issues. A significant percentage of respondents - 29% - remain undecided about their stance on the new government, while nearly 40% express a negative opinion. Over 90% of GERB supporters approve of Zhelyazkov's cabinet. Among the Socialist party sympathizers, approval stands at just over 80% and two-thirds of the supporters of There Is Such a People also back the new government. Optimists about Bulgaria’s future now constitute 48%, while pessimists make up 44%, and 10% remain undecided.

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On Nova News' morning show, Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria MP Martin Dimitrov said that if the state regulators are filled in the way they have been before, they will remain incapable of performing their duties. "It is very sad that [GERB leader Boyko] Borissov does not admit that the regulators as they are now, whom he appointed together with the Bulgarian Socialist Party and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, are failing in many important activities of their own. Hence the higher prices, hence the problem that cartel agreements are not being attacked."

ECONOMY

On Nova Television's morning show, Institute for Market Economics senior economist Zornitsa Slavova pointed out which are the most in-demand professions in the country in 2025.  "The welding profession is among those in demand at the moment. We notice a trend of increased interest from businesses - besides builders and tailors, who are constantly in need, also to the traditional vocational education specialties such as welder," Slavova explained. In her words, "people with vocational qualifications earn much better salaries than those with secondary education".

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Trud has an article on the size of pensions in the country. Citing a draft of the National Plan for Promotion of Gender Equality 2025-2026, released by the Government for public consultation, the daily writes that pensions will be increased by 6.6% as of July 1 this year. If this plan is implemented, the minimum pension in the country will rise from the current BGN 580.57 to BGN 618.89.

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On bTV's morning show, economist Evgeniy Kanev argued that Bulgaria has long been ready to join the eurozone and insisted on an immediate convergence report. "We needed a little time to meet the technical criteria because of the turbulent developments since the pandemic - the war, inflation, but in practice Bulgaria has been in the euro area since its very beginning," he said.

DEFENCE

On bTV's morning show, former defence minister Todor Tagarev commented on how the election of Donald Trump as US President will affect Europe. "It has been clear for many years that Europe must take a greater share of responsibility for its own security. Europe needs to find a way for the U.S. to remain engaged in the continent not so much with conventional forces but with its strategic nuclear umbrella capabilities, intelligence capabilities, long-range precision strike capabilities, air replenishment systems and the like. Because these are very expensive capabilities and it makes no sense for Europe to go in that direction," he said. Tagarev described the withdrawal of 20,000 of the 65,000 U.S. troops from Europe as "not that important" because it could be compensated by European countries without a problem. Even if Donald Trump decides to reduce the US presence in Europe, he said, there should be a transition process that is well coordinated so that it happens in time without creating disruption.

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In an interview with the Bulgarian National Radio, MEP Andrey Novakov said that sending troops from European armies to Ukraine has not been discussed in the newly formed defence committee of the European Parliament. "No country is safe. Even Germany, which suffers from a historical guilt complex, is beginning to realize that it needs to change its defence potential," he pointed out. Europe will increasingly have to rely on itself to secure its defence, Novakov stressed, adding that it is normal to ask for an equal sharing of defence investments. From now on, there should be very active work with the European Defence Fund, Novakov believes. Europe taking care of itself does not contradict the commitments the countries have to NATO, he clarified. According to him, Bulgaria protects one of the most difficult to guard borders in the world and this is the country's contribution to European security, but at the same time the outdated military equipment Bulgaria has does not increase the sense of calm.

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Mediapool reports that a total of BGN 348 million was received by the Defence Ministry as part of two agreements with Denmark. The news were announced by Finance Minister Temenuzhka Petkova at a briefing at the council of Ministers. The funds will be used for upgrades and maintenance in the Bulgarian Armed Forces. Petkova added that the sum has improved the balance of the state budget and the consolidated fiscal programme.

MENTAL HEALTH

After a woman suffering from a mental health disorder went on a stabbing rampage in Sofia, hurting three men on Tuesday, the topic of mental health had a significant presence in the media.

On bTV's morning show, Bulgarian Medical Association Chair Nikolay Branzalov commented on the situation. "We need to review some laws, in particular the Health Act. There is an unsolvable problem. We see people with severe mental illnesses on the streets, they walk freely. In practice, whatever they do, they will not be held responsible, but the ones who will suffer - will bear all the consequences that have been done to them. It is the state that has to protect and take care of them," he stressed. Branzalov added that there are 571 psychiatrists in the country, adding that they are mostly located in big cities and the number is insufficient.

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On Nova Television's morning show, former Health Minister Hristo Hinkov commented on the topic. Currently there is no control over psychiatric hospitals and their spending, everything is left to the conscience of those running them, he said. "Reforms in the psychiatric system have been needed for a long time, and the money is undeniably insufficient. The guild is divided, many want things to stay the same - because they feel good that way," the former minister added. He said clinical pathways for the mentally ill should be designated. "There is a possibility that mental hospitals could be funded by the National Health Insurance Fund. But this would imply strict control, so some of my colleagues do not want this," he said.

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On Nova Television's morning show, the issues were also discussed Sofia’s Centre for Mental Health head Dr. Emil Grashnov and Dr. Maria Nikolova. Grashnov stressed that "the systematic underfunding of mental health institutions is one of the reasons why only acute conditions in such patients are treated." In Dr Nikolova's words, "there is treatment for such cases [as the one involving the woman who assaulted three men in Sofia], but not to the extent that it should be." She added that the number of specialists, whether doctors, psychologists, or nurses, in psychiatry is at the sanitary minimum. "There are many reasons for this, but the main one is the lack of financial incentive," she asserted.