site.btaMedia Review: September 23

HOME SCENE

The majority of the media outlets covered the 117th anniversary of Bulgaria’s declaration of independence, marked on Monday as an official holiday. In the central town of Veliko Tarnovo, where King Ferdinand I’s manifesto was read on 22 September 1908, a ceremonial fireworks and military parade were held to commemorate the occasion, attended by public figures and senior officials, politicians, top brass, and members of the public. Bulgarian National Radio and Bulgarian National TV lead with this story.

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Mediapool leads with a story about the hundreds who gathered in the coastal city of Varna to protest in support of the city’s detained Mayor, Blagomir Kotsev, during the tenth consecutive demonstration under the slogan “March for Independence and Freedom for Political Prisoners.” Protesters, including Kotsev’s wife and son, carried banners criticzing political influence and chanted “We want our mayor” and “Freedom.”

Former deputy mayor Dian Ivanov, who initially testified in the case but later withdrew his statements, claimed that his testimony had been given under pressure and denied accusing Kotsev of any crime. Mayor Kotsev has been in custody for over two months, while the Sofia Court of Appeal has yet to consider the appeal due to recusals of the judges.

Atanas Atanassov of Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria described Kotsev as a “modern political prisoner,” stating that there was no evidence against him and that his detention, intended as a preventative measure, was unjustified. “This is repression,” he added.

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Bulgarian National TV: Residents of Sofia’s Druzhba 2 neighbourhood are protesting urgent repair works by district heating company Toplofikacia, set to begin in October and last three months. Locals fear the outage could leave them without heating and hot water until the New Year, despite assurances from Toplofikacia Sofia CEO Petar Petrov that disruptions will not exceed 15 days. Petrov also ruled out compensation due to the company’s financial difficulties, sparking further anger and scepticism among residents, who do not believe that the disruption deadlines given are real. bTV also covers the topic.

POLITICS

In a televised interview on bTV, Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) MEP Kristian Vigenin (Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats) criticised what he described as undue influence by MRF-New Beginning leader Delyan Peevski over the Government.

Vigenin pointed to recent sharp letters from Peevski to Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and the latter’s quick responses, arguing that “no one can give orders to ministers.” He stressed that the Council of Ministers is a collective body, especially in a coalition, where important matters should be discussed and decided jointly.

According to Vigenin, shadow directives to ministers represent a “harmful practice that must be stopped.” He added that BSP’s own ministers are not people who would take orders from external actors.

The MEP also condemned attempts to limit presidential powers in appointing security service chiefs, calling the proposed changes a “politicisation of security” and “a long-term problem for the State.”

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Duma covers the visit of Deputy Prime Minister and Socialist leader Atanas Zafirov to Armenia. On Sunday Zafirov led a Bulgarian delegation to meet the Armenia–Bulgaria Friendship Group in the Armenian Parliament in Yerevan, chaired by Babken Tunyan. Discussions focused on elevating bilateral ties to a strategic partnership, boosting trade, tourism, and knowledge exchange, and providing Bulgarian expertise for Armenia’s development, including support for its nuclear power plant. Key issues addressed included appointing a trade and economic officer at the Bulgarian Embassy in Yerevan and maintaining direct Sofia–Yerevan flights. Both sides expressed confidence that the visit would strengthen cooperation and friendly relations between Bulgaria and Armenia. 

ECONOMY 

Capital’s main story is about how Bulgaria tops Europe in housing stock, but affordability declines and is based on Deloitte’s 2025 Property Index. 

Bulgaria leads Europe in housing density, with 668 dwellings per 1,000 residents, according to Deloitte’s 2025 Property Index. However, much of this stock is old or located in depopulating areas, while major cities like Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna face a shortage of modern apartments, driving prices higher.

Residential property prices surged 18% in 2024, with Sofia apartments averaging €2,080 per square meter. New construction is in high demand, while the secondary market remains stable. Rising rents reflect this trend, increasing 16% in Sofia, 18% in Varna, and 9% in Plovdiv, with one-bedroom apartments most sought after.

Affordable mortgage rates—among the lowest in Europe at 2.83%—have fueled demand, though regulators have introduced stricter lending rules to prevent market overheating. Over half of transactions in major cities are mortgage-financed, but affordability challenges persist, especially for young and lower-income households.

Regionally, Bulgaria remains attractive compared to Romania and Serbia due to its large housing stock, moderate prices, and low mortgage rates. Urban growth, infrastructure development, and foreign investment continue to support the market, while limited supply in economic centers keeps prices elevated.

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Trud covers Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov’s visit to the US, where he leads the Bularian delegation for the UN General Assembly. It transpired from a meeting between Prime Zhelyazkov and Senator J. Stuart Adams that Bulgaria and the U.S. state of Utah are seeking to strengthen trade and investment ties. Bulgaria emphasised its openness to investments in strategic sectors such as artificial intelligence and drone technology and plans to host a Utah trade mission in 2026. American investor doTERRA International, which has invested $15 million in Dobrich and created 150 jobs, was highlighted as a key example of bilateral economic cooperation. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to sustainable partnerships, innovation, and joint investment projects.

WORLD

Dnevnik: Donald Trump and the MAGA movement are waging a full-scale cultural war against Europe. These attacks are carried out through Washington’s support for ideological and political allies on the continent and by publicly humiliating Europe on the world stage.

The governments of the 27 EU member states spend most of their energy reacting to crises scripted by Trump and his European allies instead of setting the agenda themselves. These are some of the conclusions of a new report by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) and the European Cultural Foundation (ECF), which Dnevnik reviewed ahead of its publication on Tuesday (23 September).

The report covers research from all 27 EU member states and available surveys (including earlier studies by the ECFR itself). The text is the fourth edition of the European Compass – an annual monitoring of European attitudes.

It argues that transatlantic relations are currently gripped by a struggle not only over the values that dominate European politics and define the West, but also over Europe’s dignity, trust, and identity as an autonomous international actor.

The forecast is that a time will come when European leaders will realise that the stakes are not only about winning these battles but also about taking control of Europe’s own story.

In the short national profiles accompanying the study, the section on Bulgaria states that “the polarised political debate in the country reflects some themes of MAGA, and its fragmented politics could make it problematic within the EU.” But it immediately adds an important clarification: “Bulgaria remains too small and peripheral to shape the broader European dynamic.”

It continues: “The re-election of Trump in 2024 encouraged several pro-Russian and anti-European parties and politicians, many of whom sympathise with MAGA’s opposition to so-called wokeism and vaccinations. They joined forces with Eurosceptic President Rumen Radev, using the 2026 eurozone accession as a slogan against the EU.

Delyan Peevski – a controversial (US-sanctioned) media magnate whose party provides crucial support for the minority coalition of Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov – is a proud supporter of Trump, and representatives of his party have attended a Conservative Political Action Conference in Budapest.

These processes do not seem to have undermined public attachment to the EU. Instead, they have deepened polarization, with pro-European forces mobilizing in response.”

The majority of Bulgarians still feel attached to Europe and the EU, trust the bloc, and are optimistic about its future. Nevertheless, Bulgaria remains vulnerable, the report assesses.

“Media freedom in the country is weak. Many Bulgarians (42%) have a positive image of the United States, while a significant share (35%) do not trust the EU. All of this makes the country a potential weak spot if Trumpists try to instrumentalize it in their cultural war with Europe.”

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Standart and Dnevnik cover the news of unidentified drones spotted near Copenhagen Airport and its closure. Denmark’s largest airport was temporarily closed on Monday following reports of 2–3 large drones flying in the vicinity, the police announced. All arrivals and departures were suspended from 8:26 PM local time Monday (9:26 PM Bulgarian time).

At least 15 flights were redirected to alternative airports, according to FlightRadar. A spokesperson for the airport stated that police are working to identify the drones but declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing investigation.

NOVA TV contributes by reporting that flights at Copenhagen Airport were suspended for several hours on Monday evening after two to three large drones were spotted flying in the vicinity, including over the busy Oresund Strait that separates Denmark and Sweden. Around 20,000 passengers and 31 flights were affected, with many planes diverted to other airports. Operations later resumed, though delays and cancellations continued.

Danish police said the drones were flown “skilfully” and disappeared after several hours, switching their lights on and off and approaching from different directions. Authorities have not ruled out a hybrid attack. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described the disruption as “the most serious attack against Danish infrastructure to date,” while the national intelligence services confirmed they were investigating.

Similar drone activity was reported over military facilities in Oslo, where two Singaporean nationals were detained, and over Stockholm, where Sweden’s defence minister vowed that the air force would shoot down any unidentified flying objects entering national airspace.

The incidents come amid heightened regional concern about drone intrusions. Governments in Poland, Estonia, and Romania recently accused Russia of violating their airspace — allegations rejected by Moscow. Denmark and Norway are now cooperating to determine whether the Scandinavian drone sightings are linked.

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Bulgarian National Radio: Members of the European Parliament’s special committee on the European Democracy Shield warned that the Russian Orthodox Church is being used as part of Russia’s hybrid warfare, with some of its churches acting as FSB affiliates. Committee Chair Nathalie Loiseau (Renew Europe) described the Church as a “key instrument of state power” under Vladimir Putin, citing interference via the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro’s 2020 parliamentary elections and disinformation ahead of Moldova’s EU accession referendum.

MEP Tomas Zdechovsky (European People’s Party) added that Russian Orthodox churches in cities such as Prague and Karlovy Vary effectively serve as bases for the FSB and GRU in Central and Eastern Europe. Loiseau further cited examples from Ukraine and Paris, highlighting the Church’s role in facilitating Russian military operations and political influence abroad, including the construction of a second Russian Orthodox cathedral in Paris at Putin’s request. Political analyst Tornike Gordadze called the cathedral a “major spy centre,” noting that the French government had allowed its construction to appease relations with Russia.