site.btaMedia Review: February 13

POLITICS

Trud writes that President Iliana Iotova hands the exploratory mandate to Caretaker PM designate Andrey Gurov and sets priorities for the incoming caretaker cabinet: honest elections, immediate measures to control prices, stabilizing public finances, electricity price regulation, rapid support for the most vulnerable families, resolving the Petrohan case, and meeting foreign-policy commitments. Trud notes that Iotova criticizes the constitutional amendments for leaving the President’s institution with no real choice in appointing a caretaker PM: “Thus every candidate was pre-selected by the National Assembly, in fact by a political majority,” Iotova says, adding that she will act as a corrective by opening the President’s administration to signals of irregularities in election preparations, on election day, and in the executive’s work. Gurov says he will seek “people with experience, expertise and decency, not political positions,” and Trud reports he has until February 18, 2026 to propose a caretaker cabinet.

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Trud reports that Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov claims Bulgaria’s national security is threatened by “Turkish agents” and shares a video showing BulTurk head Rafet Uluturk expressing support for Rumen Radev. “We will support Rumen Radev,” Uluturk says. Trud notes that Kostadinov alleges BulTurk acts on behalf of Türkiye’s security services and advances “almost separatist” demands, while Uluturk speaks of consolidating votes in Kardzhali, Razgrad and Shumen and says Turkish votes could deliver “at least 125” MPs. The daily adds that Kostadinov refers to President Iliana Iotova as “Radev’s secretary”, calls her veto of the Election Code amendments on polling stations in Turkiye treason, and asks whether Radev is connected to Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan through the controversial BOTAS gas supply agreement, which he says costs Bulgaria BGN 1.1 million per day.

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24 Chasa writes that President Iliana Iotova says Nikolay Koprinkov, the President’s domestic policy secretary, no longer works at the President’s administration. “He is not part of my team,” Iotova says, adding that his name remains on the institution’s website pending a new structure of the President’s administration expected in the coming days.

24 Chasa notes that Koprinkov has been portrayed as close to former president Rumen Radev and linked to his future political project, and has been a frequent target of attacks, with Movement for Rights and Freedoms Chair Delyan Peevski calling him “Radev’s cashier in the energy sector”.

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24 Chasa reports that political scientist Atanas Radev said on Nova TV that the incoming caretaker cabinet will be a coalition-style format rather than a purely technical stopgap, with its composition decisive. He expects ministers from the caretaker governments of Stefan Yanev and Galab Donev, as well as figures close to former president Rumen Radev, and says President Iliana Iotova would not have tapped caretaker PM designate Andrey Gurov without backing the cabinet’s overall line-up, with the interior minister choice a key test.

24 Chasa adds that former Continue the Change (CC) MP Iskren Mitev links the choice of Gurov to a rivalry between President Radev and CC for first place in the next election. “The choice of Andrey Gurov is a slap in the face for GERB and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF),” Mitev says, while arguing that any missteps will be blamed on CC.

The outlet also reports that lawyer Plamen Borisov believes the caretaker cabinet could remain in power for an extended period amid coalition deadlock and the lack of polling. Borisov cites the Petrohan murders case and warns that “the new caretaker government will have to devote significant resources to this case, and that will affect the organization of the elections.” He adds that Vice President Iotova’s veto of Election Code changes is logical given her involvement with Bulgarians abroad but likely to be overridden, and that the replacement of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) floor leader signals an attempt to reshape the party.

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24 Chasa writes that, two weeks after leaving the President’s administration, former president Rumen Radev appears to be setting up a political headquarters in a Sofia hotel, citing National Service for Protection cars using a garage on Todor Aleksandrov Blvd and staff hints of work on a new structure upstairs, as President Iliana Iotova finalizes consultations before picking a caretaker PM. The paper adds that staff say they saw Radev at the complex around noon on Monday.

24 Chasa reports that visitors include former BSP MEP Petar Vitanov and former caretaker minister Alexander Pulev, while some deny links to any party activity. It adds that former MRF MP Valentin Tonchev says his visit was unrelated to Radev: “I have no contact with the [former] president; the hotel owner is close to me – we are neighbours in Sozopol,” and notes the complex has hosted BSP events and is owned by poet Angel Simeonov, described as a repeat donor to BSP.

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Dnevnik reports that the ruling parties [GERB-UDF, Movement for Rights and Freedoms, There Is Such a People and BSP – United Left] and Vazrazhdane are not reopening the Election Code amendments capping the number of polling stations outside the EU at 20, a day after President Iliana Iotova vetoed the bill. The outlet notes that the National Assembly’s legal committee has not convened despite the usual fast-track procedure and adds that BSP MPs have signalled the party may reconsider its position, making the vote to override the veto an early test for newly elected BSP leader Krum Zarkov.

Dnevnik also says that BSP Deputy Floor Leader Vladimir Georgiev said, “I sincerely hope for honest elections. Changes to the Election Code cannot be made at the last moment,” while Iotova said she expects BSP to back her veto and added, “To steer all institutions through the crisis, I rely on cooperation and dialogue.” It notes that Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) and the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (ARF) support the veto, while Vazrazhdane will again back the restrictions, and recalls that Parliament has three days to refer the veto to committee and one week to vote on overriding it.

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Dnevnik writes that an attempt to replace the management of Stolichen Avtotransport is thwarted after the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) group, except Diana Tonova, boycotts the vote in the Sofia Municipal Council, leaving the board in place despite a contract to buy 25 second-hand buses for EUR 94,000 each, later found to be priced at EUR 9,900. Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev says the municipality will not fund the purchase and points to a gas-supply contract running until 2029 which he says costs Sofia residents EUR 4 million.

Dnevnik adds that Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria (CC–DB) councillor Boyko Dimitrov warns that “every vote against will mean further damaging the municipal company,” noting 31 votes in the 61-member council are needed to remove the five board members appointed without a competitive procedure for a six-month term in July 2024; GERB, There Is Such a People (TISP) and breakaway councillors from Vazrazhdane abstain, BSP–Sofia leader Ivan Takov leaves the chamber, and the rest of the BSP group does not vote.

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Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) reported that the National Assembly will terminate Anton Slavchev’s powers as head of the Anti-Corruption Commission after his February 11, 2026 resignation request, adding that Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) wants him heard in Parliament.

BNR said CC-DB MP Ivaylo Mirchev argues Slavchev should be questioned over “regular meetings” with [acting Prosecutor General Borislav] Sarafov and [Movement for Rights and Freedoms Chair Delyan] Peevski, while CC-DB MP Bozhidar Bozhanov called for an account of the former Anti-Corruption and Illegal Assets Forfeiture Commission’s work and that of the separated Anti-Corruption Commission after the split.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

Trud reports that outgoing Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov comments for the first time on the Petrohan case, calling it “a great national drama” and urging politicians not to politicize it. He says the deceased and their families deserve dignity and that the presumption of innocence should apply even after death: “Political crossfire will not help establish the objective truth.”

Trud adds that Zhelyazkov warns against political interference and pressure on institutions during the investigation as inappropriate and error-prone and says he will not confirm or deny speculation about possible links to the State Agency for National Security.

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Trud reports that Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev comments on the Petrohan case, saying he has known the organization for three to four years and is one of its donors. “If I had had any doubts about the things being said, I wouldn’t have donated,” Terziev says, adding he last visited the Petrohan hut with his children in July 2025.

Trud notes that Terziev says he donated about EUR 70,000–80,000 to an NGO linked to Ivo Kalushev and that the funds were used as intended, including buying electric motorbikes for mountain use. “For me, charity isn’t about helping someone and then expecting something in return,” he says, adding he cannot replace the competent authorities or comment in detail, and that while he knew the group was involved in Buddhism and spiritual practices, he does not practise them.

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Mediapool.bg reports that the deaths in Petrohan and Okolchitsa take a new turn as Sofia Andreeva and her 31-year-old son, Valeri A., who lived for years with Ivo Kalushev, give sharply conflicting accounts of what happened within the Buddhist group. “My son is the moral killer,” Andreeva said, arguing that he set events in motion by filing a report alleging sexual abuse by Kalushev.

Mediapool.bg reports that Valeri told Bird.bg the sexual relationship began when he was about 15 and that his family was the group’s main donor, with “offerings” totalling more than BGN 1 million. “For me, it is definitely a sect,” Valeri said, adding that he first contacted the Directorate General for Combating Organized Crime (DGCOC) in 2022, has been questioned twice since the Petrohan tragedy, and claimed he had long seen weapons in Kalushev’s possession.

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Mediapool.bg reports that Anti-Corruption Fund director Boyko Stankushev says the Petrohan case needs an “independent international expert assessment” because there are “many gaps” in the cause-and-effect chain of the expert findings. He adds that acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov and Acting State Agency for National Security (SANS) head Denyo Denev publicly presented a ready-made thesis before operational work was completed.

Mediapool.bg writes that Stankushev says testimony from a mother and her son points to earlier alerts and inspections at the Petrohan hut, including visits by the Agency for Child Protection and SANS, and calls on Parliament to establish whether records exist and whether they can be declassified. “It is unacceptable to allow paedophilia to spread in secrecy so the services can run operations,” he says, urging specialist review of the interviews and warning the public not to accept either side’s account at face value.

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Telegraph reports that Deputy Interior Minister Toni Todorov told the National Assembly that CCTV cameras in beauty salons in Burgas are installed by owners and are not part of licensed security services. The Interior Ministry is handling publicly reported cases of covert filming and leaked footage from salons and gynaecology clinics. “The cameras in the salons are not for security,” Todorov says.

Telegraph writes that the Cybercrime Directorate within the Directorate General for Combating Organized Crime (DGCOC) is processing multiple reports and that cases have been opened in Burgas and at the Sofia Directorate of the Ministry of Interior, with searches at seven Sofia addresses, a camera seized and one person detained for up to 24 hours. It adds that Commission for Personal Data Protection Chair Borislav Bozhinov says inspections have started with the Interior Ministry and regional health inspectorates and that “the harshest penalties” will follow if guilt is proven, noting 14,000 registered laser hair-removal studios and a plan to propose stricter rules by mid-2026.

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bTV reported that MRF – New Beginning MP and former interior minister Kalin Stoyanov said in Parliament it is easy to verify whether a 2022 report was filed with the DGCOC in connection with the Petrohan case and Ivaylo Kalushev. “At any time, it is possible to verify whether a report was filed, who filed it, and when,” Stoyanov said, adding he cannot check it himself and is awaiting an Inspectorate review.

bTV said Stoyanov argued Boyko Rashkov should answer questions about weapons issued to the group and the closure of the police station in Godech and a Border Police unit. It added that he called for checks for other Petrohan-like cases, including scrutiny of NGOs he linked to CC-DB and “Soros representatives” in Bulgaria. “This is a major problem – these individuals have entered the education system, which is where our children are,” Stoyanov said.

ECONOMY

Trud writes that a wave of complaints against insurance company DallBogg is hitting the Financial Supervision Commission (FSC), including nearly 400 signals from Romania and Italy in the past 20 days and at least 100 more from Bulgarian citizens. Trud adds that most complaints concern unpaid compulsory motor third-party liability (MTPL) claims, with complainants saying compensation has not been paid even after the statutory 30-day deadline, and notes signals from employees at linked companies, including: “I was told that, as a condition of employment, I had to be included in an insurance product and an additional fund linked to the company,” an employee at the Heart and Brain Center of Clinical Excellence says.

Trud says the FSC has sanctioned the insurer repeatedly over the past 12 months, including restrictions on cross-border activity from July 1, 2025 and from October 1, 2025, coordinated with European regulators and the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA). Trud adds that the October 1, 2025 restriction remains in place until the insurer is brought into full compliance with regulatory requirements.

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Dnevnik reports that Bulgarian hotels accommodated over 8% more tourists in December 2025 and logged over 8% more overnight stays, according to the National Statistical Institute (NSI). Bulgarians accounted for 391,000 hotel guests versus 133,600 foreign visitors, with average stays of two nights and 2.4 nights.

Dnevnik adds that revenue rose 12.5% year on year to BGN 112.7 million (BGN 75.6 million from Bulgarians; BGN 37.1 million from foreigners), and that most foreign visitors and about half of Bulgarians chose four- and five-star hotels.

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Capital writes that the uproar over household electricity bills is driven mainly by the lack of smart metering and near-real-time consumption data, leaving monthly readings opaque despite a legal requirement for electronic access to meter data.

Capital notes that EWRC Chair Plamen Mladenovski says January 2026 invoices will be audited by comparing reported consumption with the same period a year earlier and checking applied prices and billing periods, warning that penalties range from EUR 10,000 to EUR 511,000; “The first step will be to compare the reported electricity volumes for the period,” he says.

Capital adds that a durable fix is a nationwide rollout of smart meters and integrated data systems, including via the Modernization Fund, and that Electrohold Sales attributes the nearly 30% month-on-month rise in average household consumption in Western Bulgaria reflected in January 2026 invoices to colder weather.

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Bulgarian National Television (BNT) reported that separating rail services and allowing a private operator are unavoidable under Recovery and Resilience Plan commitments, but Petar Bunev, chair of the Railway Workers’ Union at the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB), warned of greater inefficiency and of rail being weakened in favour of buses. “The separation will lead to even greater inefficiency,” Bunev said, adding that Bulgarian State Railway (BDZ) employees would keep their social status and the collective bargaining agreement at least for the first year.

BNT added that outgoing Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadjov said Bulgaria is opening its rail market to a private carrier for the first time, while former President Rumen Radev criticised the move. It noted Bunev’s warning that timetables are often skewed in favour of buses and that a national transport scheme could make buses the backbone “at the expense of rail”, contrary to European requirements.

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Nova TV reported that Boryana Abadzhieva of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) said 88% of companies cannot find employees with the required practical skills, according to the chamber’s annual employer survey. “The figures are 91% for 2024, 90% for 2025, and 88% for 2026,” Abadzhieva said, adding that the gap affects both secondary and higher education.

Nova TV reported that Abadzhieva said the communication-skills gap rises to 47% in 2026, from 40% in 2024 and 44% in 2025, citing weaker teamwork and task comprehension and Gen Z’s mostly digital communication. She said employers face the sharpest shortages in technical sciences and seek engineers, including in renewable energy, plus specialists in robotics, automation and artificial intelligence, urging expanded dual and STEM education, more hands-on training, and fixes to unexplained refusals and short permits when hiring workers from third countries.

HEALTHCARE

Capital writes that Bulgaria’s health system remains chronically short of money because health contributions are spent inefficiently, despite more than EUR 5 billion a year collected through the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), roughly another EUR 5 billion paid out of pocket, plus about EUR 600 million from the health ministry budget and around EUR 150 million in private health insurance. It cites public-hospital procurement, including a St Ekaterina University Cardiology Hospital tender for five swivel stools at EUR 677 each and four professional laundry machines for EUR 306,000 under supplier requirements so specific that only one firm may qualify, while Aleksandrovska Hospital runs a donation drive for repairs.

Capital notes that doctors and analysts point to the NHIF’s monopoly and a clinical-pathway model that incentivizes volume over outcomes, driving unnecessary admissions, tests and longer stays instead of prevention. “The health fund has a single leak: the monopoly,” Katsarov says, while Markov adds, “We spend more on our cars than on our health.” Capital reports that the NHIF pays for about 2.2 million hospital cases a year, including 1.3 million emergency admissions, as patients increasingly top up payments or seek care abroad, including in Turkiye.

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Dnevnik reports that the Gastroenterology Department at the municipal Knyaginya Klementina Hospital (Fifth City Hospital) denies that doctors moved from Second City Hospital due to political pressure or external influence, saying the transfers were individual, voluntary decisions made “without political pressure, without political instructions, and without institutional influence.”

Dnevnik adds that during a late-January Sofia Municipal Council debate on a EUR 1.53 million emergency loan for Second City Hospital, Save Sofia leader Boris Bonev alleged GERB-UDF was trying to destroy the hospital and that doctors were being intimidated. “It’s forbidden,” Bonev said, citing what he claimed gastroenterologists told him when he approached them about working at Second City Hospital.

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Capital writes that public sensitivity over healthcare spending is warranted, but that loose talk of “draining the health fund” can stigmatize an entire profession while missing the deeper drivers of abuse. It says the system’s incentives enable outright fraud, including fictitious hospitalizations via misuse of personal data, and “softer” overbilling by steering similar cases into the most expensive clinical pathways.

Capital notes that the National Health Information System now lets patients access their records, aiding detection, but argues the clinical-pathway model still reduces patients to an algorithm. It reports that fixed prices and rigid, sometimes outdated steps drive unnecessary procedures and minimum stays, penalize complex cases (such as adult bronchopneumonia priced at EUR 777 regardless of comorbidities), and, without palliative and community care, push hospitals into acting as a de facto social service.