site.btaMedia Review: October 15

HEADLINES

Not a single topic dominates the front pages of print media on Wednesday, but newspapers focus on economic and social issues. 24 Chasa reports on excessive bureaucracy, highlighting that an average of 21 state officials affect the daily life of every 1,000 citizens. Trud leads with a consumer protection story, revealing that the Commission for Protection of Competition (CPC) has found food markups reaching as high as 90%, raising concerns about unfair pricing and inflation. Meanwhile, Telegraph focuses on Bulgarians’ growing interest in safe investments, reporting that citizens have purchased gold worth BGN 1 billion, reflecting public anxiety about economic stability and inflation.

The leading interviews in today’s Bulgarian press address legal, health, and political themes. 24 Chasa features lawyer Maryana Zheleva, who criticizes persistent obstacles in the judicial system, noting that despite recent legal changes, many judges continue to deny access to adoption files. Trud focuses on public health with Chief State Health Inspector Angel Kunchev announcing that two new vaccines for children and pregnant women will be included in Bulgaria’s national immunization calendar, aimed at improving preventive healthcare. Telegraph highlights a political viewpoint from former Sofia mayor Stefan Sofiyanski, who argues that Bulgaria needs a new constitution to modernize its governance and institutions.

The morning programmes of the Bulgarian National Television (BNT), bTV, and Nova TV host discussion studios on topics such as politics, energy, the economy, recent sport achievements, the flu season and other home affairs.

The Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) has interviews on political topics – the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) – New Beginning local elections win in Pazardzhik, Southcentral Bulgaria, and on economic issues – the country’s upcoming euro adoption on January 1, 2026.

POLITICS

Mediapool.bg writes that GERB leader Boyko “Borissov furious after the collapse in Pazardzhik, calls for a reshaping of the government”. The article is a detailed overview of GERB leader Boyko Borissov’s address to his party following the MRF–New Beginning alliance’s victory in the snap local elections in Pazardzhik. It highlights Borissov’s criticism of the current government, which he described as dominated by informal circles and lacking coalition discipline. He voiced anger over GERB’s poor showing in Pazardzhik, saying the party would no longer provide quorum in Parliament and warning of a potential collapse of the government unless it is “reformatted.”

The piece also underscores Borissov’s frustration with persistent attempts to link him to Delyan Peevski, his calls for personnel changes, including a possible replacement of the Parliament Speaker Nataliya Kiselova and Interior Minister Daniel Mitov, and his demand for stronger leadership from Prime Minister Rossen Zhelyazkov. Borissov accused the Socialist Party (BSP) of populism and excessive spending proposals and warned that GERB should not serve as a “cover” for the government’s actions. Overall, the article presents a portrait of a party leader seeking to reassert control and redefine GERB’s role within Bulgaria’s fragile ruling coalition.

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Georgi Georgiev from the civil association BOEC told BNR that his organization has been calling for the resignation of Interior Minister Daniel Mitov since just days after he took office. Following the recent events in Pazardzhik, where the MRF – New Beginning won the snap local elections, Georgiev said it has become clear that “Mitov is [MRF – New Beginning leader Delyan] Peevski’s main dealer.”

BOEC is holding its second protest action on W  ednesday, titled “Trash for the Trash”, in front of the Interior Ministry, this time demanding the interior minister’s resignation. Georgiev described the potential vote-buying incidents in Ognyanovo during the snap local elections in Pazardzhik as a scandalous case, claiming that the Interior Ministry had facilitated Peevski’s schemes and was effectively providing him with protection.

He further argued that “since his Interior Minister is under Peevski’s control, the conclusion is that GERB leader Boyko Borisov himself has become Peevski’s servant.” Georgiev warned that protests will escalate if Mitov does not step down, stressing that civic pressure is necessary “to prevent the appointment of Peevski’s next puppet.”

ECONOMY

Economist Vasil Karaivanov told BNR in a comment on the upcoming debate on next year’s state budget that “the battle will be over how to promise more spending if the country is heading for snap elections, in order to gain political dividends”.

He expressed hope that Bulgaria will not enter the new year without an adopted budget but warned that this scenario remains entirely possible. “The budget itself may initially remain in its current form, as for this year, and continue into the next, with spending limited to one-twelfth per month in line with revenue collection from various sources,” Karaivanov explained in the interview.

According to him, there is no risk to Bulgaria’s eurozone accession. The real concern lies in the fiscal measures that need to be taken and the expenditures that may follow, he clarified, adding: “Even if there is a budget, it is not obligatory to execute all of its planned spending. Revenue targets are not always met as forecast.”

The budget outlook foresees only a minimal increase in expenditures, meaning that the steep spending growth seen in recent years is no longer “in fashion,” the economist stressed. This, he noted, could effectively result in a freeze on salaries in some public sectors.

Karaivanov also observed recent “price shocks” - sudden and unjustified increases in certain prices, and pointed to consumers’ growing inability to cope with them.

“Bulgaria is among the few EU countries with a regular government at the moment. We are not Europe’s biggest problem. Political disputes are a normal part of democracy, but the question is how far they will go. Bulgaria is not a problem for Europe, but the situation will certainly be a problem for people in Bulgaria,” he concluded.

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Trud and Nova TV report on the finding of the Commission for Protection of Competition (CPC) of food markups reaching as high as 90%. Trud highlights that regulatory authorities have stopped an attempt to artificially inflate the price of cooking oil on the Bulgarian market, according to media reports. The investigation revealed that while the oil sector shows signs of price manipulation, the dairy industry remains the most problematic, facing serious competition and pricing distortions. Inspectors also found that some traders control up to 80% of the market, raising concerns about monopolistic practices and lack of fair competition. Nova TV focused on the serious distortions in Bulgaria’s food pricing, particularly in the dairy sector. Industry representatives and economists in the morning programme of Nova TV said that supermarket chains exert excessive control over retail prices, with markups reaching up to 90% on certain products. They called for stronger regulatory intervention, greater transparency in producer–retailer contracts, and measures to protect consumers in a market where purchasing power remains among the lowest in the EU.

HOME AFFAIRS

BNT and Mediapool.bg report on the situation with the trash in Sofia’s Lyulin and Krasno selo boroughs saying that trash collection is now monitored by drones. Mediapool.bg quotes Deputy Environment Minister Nadezhda Bobcheva speaking for BNT saying that aerial footage is being carried out by the Centre for Geospatial Research and Technologies at Sofia University.

“The purpose of the survey is to identify areas where waste has accumulated and to assess the condition of waste containers. The data will be linked to the BGSMET civic application, which allows citizens to report overflowing bins,” she is quoted as saying. So far, garbage trucks have been sent to Sofia from Botevgrad, Elin Pelin, Blagoevgrad, and Panagyurishte. Additional vehicles have also been purchased with funds collected by the Gorata.bg association.

Many volunteers have joined the cleanup efforts. “At the moment, we are looking for drivers and workers so that we can restore normal waste collection and disposal in both districts by the end of the week at the latest,” Bobcheva said.

HEALTHCARE

The morning programmes of the BNT and bTV report on the flu season. BNT had Bulgaria’s chief state health inspector Dr. Angel Kunchev, who warned that the upcoming flu season could arrive earlier than expected, following global trends seen in Japan. Bulgaria has already registered its first flu case, and both flu and COVID-19 infections are beginning to increase. Health authorities are monitoring the situation and ensuring additional vaccine supplies for the public. bTV spoke with General practitioner Dr. Gergana Nikolova from Sofia’s Fifth City Hospital, who warned of a rise in respiratory infections, including RSV, adenoviruses, COVID-19, and early flu cases. She urged people to get vaccinated against the flu in October, ahead of the expected surge in infections in December. Dr. Nikolova also cautioned against self-diagnosis and misuse of antibiotics, reminding the public that viral illnesses require symptomatic care and consultation with a doctor, not antibiotics.

JUSTICE

In an interview for 24 Chasa, Mariyana Zheleva discussed the emotional and legal aspects of adoption in Bulgaria, as well as the ongoing challenges in accessing information about biological origins. She explained that access to adoption records will soon become easier and faster, as individuals will be able to submit requests directly to the court, simplifying the current bureaucratic process.

Zheleva noted that some institutional employees cooperate willingly, often helping her team locate missing information such as a person’s phone number or address within hours, and without expecting anything in return. She also spoke about the emotional toll on mothers who abandoned their children decades ago, saying that many of them have not built new families and continue to carry this trauma in silence.

According to Zheleva, discovering that one is adopted can be deeply unsettling - “the moment you find out, you lose the ground beneath your feet,” she said. People often seek their biological origins not only for emotional reasons but also due to concerns about incest or hereditary diseases. At the same time, she added, some adoptees make a conscious choice not to search for their birth parents, motivated by feelings of loyalty, resentment, or fear.