site.btaMedia Review: March 20

POLITICS

The National Assembly will vote on the state budget law on Thursday, the national television and other media report. On Wednesday, all the proposals on the texts were read out and now the real discussion on them will start.

The law provides for a record high level of both expenditure and revenue. The deficit is set at BGN 6.4 billion, and the maximum amount of new debt is BGN 18.9 billion. The calculations were made with an expected economic growth of 2.8%. Between the two readings of the budget, all opposition proposals were rejected.

The only proposal accepted was to set up a state-owned company under the Ministry of Agriculture to sell food commodities at a mark-up of up to 10%.

The new budget will guarantee salary increases for the military, police and teachers. An additional 5% has been set aside for salary increases in the public sector. 

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The Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) will hold a protest in front of the building of Parliament. The action is under the slogan "We want a visible wage increase with Budget 2025".

The trade union will once again put forward its demands for a pay rise in the public sector. CITUB is demanding an additional BGN 250 million in budget 2025, which will allow salary increases in a number of state institutions. According to the organizers of the protest, the projected salary increase in the budget is almost unnoticeable, which is why they will give magnifying glasses to MPs before the start of the sitting in the National Assembly.

“This is the last chance to change something to ensure an increase in wages in the budget sector. We had a proposal since the beginning of the budget procedure, but many of the spheres were left with a small salary increase, which does not satisfy the workers,” said CITUB vice-president Todor Kapitanov.

Emphasis is also placed on the pay rise in the three public media - BTA, BNR and BNT. The National Television has warned that it is ready for strike action.

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EU leaders are meeting on Thursday and Friday in Brussels to discuss European defence, support for Ukraine, competitiveness and the EU's next multiannual financial framework, BNT and other news outlets report.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is invited to a working lunch with European heads of state and government, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will join the debate via video link.

Bulgaria will be represented by Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov.

European leaders are expected to discuss the White Paper for European Defence unveiled by the European Commission on Wednesday, which contains plans for the rapid rearmament of Europe through joint military procurement and projects. The debate on defence will be linked to questions about its financing and the competitiveness of the European economy. Migration will also be on the agenda. European leaders will also discuss the situation in the Middle East, including the recent Israeli bombing of Gaza, which also killed a Bulgarian citizen working for the UN.

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MEP Emil Radev from the EPP/GERB group told BNT that the Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals in the European Parliament has reacted instantly to the case in Pernik, where for years animals had been harassed and filmed for money. The intergroup is sending a letter to the Bulgarian Prime Minister, the Minister of Justice, and the acting Prosecutor General, calling for a speedy investigation, just punishments, and legislative changes.

ECONOMY

The minimum wage in Bulgaria is the lowest in the whole EU, four times lower than in Ireland, Trud writes. Significant differences in earnings are also visible compared to other countries - in Belgium the minimum wage is nearly 3.8 times higher, in Poland almost twice as high, and in Slovakia nearly 50% more. These disparities highlight the significant economic inequalities within the European Union.

At the same time, according to Eurostat data for the period 2015-2025, Bulgaria ranks third among EU countries in terms of the rate of increase of the minimum wage. During this period, the minimum wage in the country has increased from EUR 184 in 2015 to EUR 551 in 2025, representing a 199% growth. On this indicator, Bulgaria is outperformed only by Romania and Lithuania.

By January 2025, minimum wages in the EU range from EUR 551 in Bulgaria to EUR 2,638 in Luxembourg, Euronews notes. If EU candidate countries are included, the lowest minimum wage is reported in Ukraine at EUR 182, followed by Moldova at EUR 285.

In nominal terms, Romania sees the largest increase among EU countries, up 273%, from EUR 218 in 2015 to EUR 814 in 2025. Among the candidate countries, Moldova has the most significant increase, up 438%.

Western European countries report significantly smaller increases in minimum wages. France, for example, recorded the smallest increase - just 24%, with the minimum wage rising from EUR 1,458 to EUR 1,802. In Germany the increase was 50% and in the Netherlands 46%.

Trends show that countries in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, including the Baltic States, have seen the fastest wage growth. This has helped to narrow the gap with Western Europe, where the increase has been significantly smaller, reflecting more stable economies and already high wage levels.

Looking at the average annual rate of increase in minimum wages, Romania again leads with 14.1%, while among the candidate countries Moldova has the highest growth - 18.4%. At the same time, France recorded the lowest growth among EU countries - only 2.1%, while Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Greece also remained below 5% annual increase.

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Bulgaria unconditionally meets all nominal criteria for joining the euro area, BNB Governor Dimitar Radev said at a conference organized by Capital. According to Radev, active participation in the European project is the best position for Bulgaria in conditions of growing geopolitical risks.

The Bulgarian economy is in a good position, Radev assured, but he stressed that 2024 ended with a historically low level of the fiscal reserve.

"Despite the deterioration of fiscal indicators in recent years, our country still has room for manoeuvre, both in terms of the available fiscal space and in terms of the capacity to rebuild the fiscal buffers depleted by recent budgets," he said.

"Uncertainty" and "unpredictability" are the key words for what lies ahead, the BNB Governor further said and pointed out that many of Bulgaria's major partners are realigning their industries due to geopolitical risks and rising protectionism.

THE BALKANS

Thousands gathered in front of the Istanbul Municipality in support of the detained Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on Wednesday, BNT reports.

Opposition leader Ozgur Ozel and Imamoglu's wife, Dilek, spoke to the assembled crowd. She said that not only the Mayor of Istanbul, but all of its 16 million citizens had been arrested. “If we accept this - democracy dies,” she added.

There were also protests in Ankara over the arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu and against the government. Police used pepper spray to disperse the gathered crowd. There were demonstrations in several other cities, including Izmir and Trabzon. Imamoglu and 100 other people linked to the opposition have been charged with corruption and supporting a terrorist organization. According to the opposition, Imamoglu's arrest was politically motivated. The reason - on Sunday he was to officially announce his candidacy for the 2028 presidential elections, and his chances of winning are described as real.

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Later, Trud reported that Turkiye arrested 37 people accused of "provocative" social media posts in connection with the detention of Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu, the government said on Thursday, trying to quell protests.

"Turkish authorities have identified 261 social media accounts, including 62 located abroad, for “provocative posts inciting crime and hatred” following the detention of Imamoglu and 105 others, and are continuing efforts to track down the remaining suspects," Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on the social network X.

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The 59 victims of the fire in Kocani will be buried on Thursday, Dnevnik and other media report. A memorial service is expected to be held before noon, after which the bodies of the victims will be laid to rest in the town's cemetery. Today is a non-working day in Kocani as the entire public is expected to attend the funeral. The local hospital has an office offering round-the-clock psychological help to the injured and people who have lost their loved ones and relatives. So far 18 people have been arrested over the tragedy. Seven policemen suspected to be responsible for issuing the disco licence in the town also remain behind bars for 30 days.

CULTURE

Director of the Sofia Opera and Ballet Acad. Plamen Kartalov was elected to the leadership of the international organization Opera Europa, Mediapool and other outlets report. This happened during the General Assembly of Opera Europa, which was held this week at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona.

Plamen Kartalov is the first Bulgarian to hold such a position in Opera Europa's long history. The organization works with professional opera companies and opera festivals across Europe. Currently there are 240 members from 46 countries.

Over the last 17 years, Acad. Kartalov has worked to create and attract new and different audiences to the halls of the Sofia Opera House as well as to various outdoor spaces.

His initiatives are related to attracting children and their parents to opera through the most valuable works for children by Bulgarian and foreign composers.