site.btaMedia Review: June 9

No single topic dominates Monday’s news media.

NATIONAL REFERENDUM ON EURO ADOPTION NOT LEGALLY POSSIBLE

Bulgarian National Radio sought the opinion of Associate Professor Dr. Yulia Zaharieva, a lecturer at the Faculty of Law at the St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia, on whether a national referendum can legally be held on the question of adopting the euro as Bulgaria’s official currency — a topic that has remained at the forefront of national debate in recent weeks.

“I am among those who firmly believe that such a referendum cannot be held, given that Bulgaria accepted the entire body of European Union law upon accession. As you know, this was also the position of the Constitutional Court,” Zaharieva stressed. “All other efforts to initiate such a referendum are more political in nature – including the president’s initiative and the actions of some well-known parties eager to ‘ask the people’. Legally, there is simply no ground for it,” she underscored.

“There’s another important nuance that should not be overlooked – the entire subject matter is highly complex and requires expert-level knowledge and deep understanding. I have devoted my entire career to EU law, but when it comes to these issues, even I consult the legal framework or seek input from colleagues who specialize in this area. This truly demands serious and in-depth expertise in a very complicated field,” she added.

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In a Nova TV interview on Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth Tomislav Donchev said that Bulgaria is ready to join the eurozone. He noted that this position is confirmed by the convergence reports, which, in his words, understandably include some criticisms. The Deputy PM identified only two potential risks, both of which, he said, can be managed, while stressing the numerous benefits of the currency transition. The first risk is a possible price increase of certain goods during the switch to the new currency, which he believes can be limited through adequate government measures. The second risk concerns the danger of future weak governments taking on excessive debt due to easier access to financing. The Deputy PM added that the necessary organizational framework has been established to prevent market speculation in the months before and after the euro's adoption. In addition to the government, regulatory authorities are actively involved in the process.

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In an interview with bTV on Sunday, Finance Minister Temenuzhka Petkova delivered an optimistic forecast for Bulgaria’s future. According to her, eurozone membership will bring economic and financial stability, more investments, economic growth, and rising incomes. Petkova added that upon joining the eurozone, Bulgaria could improve its credit rating by two notches, allowing access to significantly better financing terms. Eurozone membership would also mean easier access to international markets, and businesses would be relieved of the costs associated with currency conversion between the lev and the euro, the Finance Minister noted. The Finance Minister pointed out that after the euro is introduced, salaries and pensions will be rounded in favour of the citizens. Petkova also explained that the Bulgarian National Bank will exchange levs for euros with no limits on time or amount.

ILLEGALLY OPERATING NURSING HOMES

Speaking on Nova TV’s morning talk show, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy Ivan Krastev commented on the case in which a total of 75 individuals were discovered in two illegally operating nursing homes in the village of Yagoda near Maglizh in the Stara Zagora region. Following the operation in the village of Yagoda, where several houses functioning as illegal elderly care homes were uncovered, there has been a flood of alerts about similar establishments, Krastev said.

He confirmed that the elderly individuals found in these facilities had been tied up, beaten, subjected to both physical and psychological abuse, and kept locked inside. Currently, the state is working to find suitable accommodations for the victims. Some have been hospitalized, others placed in psychiatric institutions, while others have been taken to social care homes or entrusted to relatives. "They will be medically examined, diagnosed, and efforts will be made to find appropriate placements for them," Krastev added. The deputy minister further revealed that the homes in Yagoda contained medications not legally available for sale, including Diazepam and substances containing Fentanyl. Authorities are investigating how these drugs were procured. Documents belonging to deceased individuals were also found during the raid, and there are suspicions of real estate fraud, Krastev noted, though he declined to provide further details due to ongoing legal proceedings.

Six individuals have been detained in connection with the case, among them a 62-year-old man who previously held a license to provide social services but relinquished it after inspections uncovered numerous violations. Despite selling the properties in Yagoda to a company, the man continued to offer social services there illegally. According to Krastev, regulatory changes are urgently needed to improve the mechanisms for inspecting, sanctioning, and shutting down social service facilities that fail to meet mandatory standards.

Dnevnik.bg also covers Krastev’s interview.

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According to bTV, authorities are now inspecting a hospice in the village of Govedartsi, near Samokov in Sofia Province, owned by the same 62-year-old individual who managed the illegal facilities in the village of Yagoda. Unlike the dire conditions found in the Yagoda homes, which led to their closure over reports of inhumane treatment, no individuals in critical health or distress were discovered at the Govedartsi hospice, according to bTV’s information.

REPORT ON NORTH MACEDONIA’S PROGRESS TOWARDS EU ACCESSION

The 24 Chasa daily has an interview with Bulgarian MEP Andrey Kovatchev (EPP/GERB), who comments on the decision of the Committee on Foreign Affairs at the European Parliament to postpone the vote on a report on the progress of North Macedonia towards EU accession on a proposal of rapporteur Thomas Waitz. Kovatchev voices criticism of the process behind the preparation of the report, demanding greater clarity, control over the negotiation texts, and transparency from the rapporteur. He also calls for the establishment of regular bilateral meetings between Bulgaria and North Macedonia under the framework of the 2017 Treaty of Friendship, Good-Neighbourliness, and Cooperation. In addition, Kovatchev urges the creation of a public registry listing the names and hometowns of individuals who have obtained Bulgarian citizenship by origin. According to him, more than 120,000 people from North Macedonia with Bulgarian identity have received Bulgarian citizenship but conceal their possession of Bulgarian passports due to an atmosphere of fear in North Macedonia.

JUSTICE

The Trud tabloid daily has an interview with acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov, who says that the main reason for delays in handling cases related to serious traffic accidents is the shortage of expert witnesses and the slow processing of critical forensic examinations. According to Sarafov, urgent measures are already being taken by the prosecuting magistracy in coordination with the Ministry of Justice to address the issue and accelerate the legal proceedings in such cases.

BULGARIA FACES EU PENALTIES

Dnevnik.bg reports that after Bulgaria was sanctioned in spring 2025 to pay EUR 4.49 million in fines for failing to adopt EU standards into national legislation, the year is shaping up to be a difficult one for the state budget. At least five additional cases are currently in advanced stages before the Court of Justice of the European Union, with financial penalties being sought in three of them, according to information obtained by the online news outlet from a court registry review. All cases have been brought by the European Commission after years of correspondence with the relevant Bulgarian ministries, urging them to enact the required laws and follow through on unfulfilled promises to do so.

One of the cases concerns Bulgaria’s lack of legislation promoting the use of clean energy. It was filed by the European Commission in 2023 after repeated warnings that the deadlines for implementing the Renewable Energy Directive, missed as far back as 2010, failed to spur action in Bulgarian parliament.

Bulgaria is also facing financial penalties in a case from 2023 for not implementing EU legislation related to the free movement of goods. The Commission initiated the proceedings because Bulgarian authorities did not transpose the European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882) into national law. The directive covers products and services used in everyday life, such as self-service terminals, computer hardware, and e-readers.

Another ongoing case concerns Bulgaria’s failure to implement the European Electronic Toll Service Directive. Adopted in 2019, the directive aims to make it easier for drivers to use toll systems across different EU countries and ensure effective cross-border enforcement of unpaid road charges, for both Bulgarian-registered vehicles and those from other EU member states.

Additionally, two other lawsuits have been filed against Bulgaria for non-compliance, though they do not include demands for financial compensation, Dnevnik.bg’s article further reads.

ECONOMIC GROWTH

The business-oriented Capital.bg news outlet has an article analyzing the economic development of three regional centres in Southeastern Bulgaria - Burgas, Sliven, and Yambol, in the past decade. The development of those three cities has followed a broadly similar trajectory, with all three registering significant growth, albeit at differing speeds. Burgas, the most economically advanced of the three, recovered quickly from the pandemic shock thanks to its diversified economy and the swift return of tourism. In contrast, Yambol and Sliven rely more heavily on industry but face challenges such as low productivity and a shortage of labour. Investment activity is on the rise, particularly in the industrial sector, indicating potential for these regions to catch up with more developed parts of the country. The labour market has shown notable improvement, with rising employment and falling unemployment rates, although disparities at the municipal level remain substantial. Educational trends in Burgas are positive, supporting the region’s long-term competitiveness. Meanwhile, Sliven and Yambol continue to grapple with issues related to the quality of their workforce. Demographically, the outlook is relatively favourable. Burgas is attracting new residents, while Sliven and Yambol are still experiencing population decline, though this trend may be reversible in the future.

PUBLIC HEALTH

The Trud tabloid daily frontpages an article, highlighting that there is a growing number of Bulgarian women suffering from breast implant illness after undergoing cosmetic surgery in pursuit of improved appearance. Depending on their symptoms, many young women are seeking help from dermatologists, cardiologists, and autoimmune disease specialists, the paper reports, citing opinions from various medical professionals. Plastic surgeons interviewed by Trud admit that demand for cosmetic procedures spikes around school proms. Anonymous surveys conducted among high school seniors reveal that many girls dream of breast augmentation, rhinoplasty, and facial fillers.