site.btaMedia Review: March 27

Friday’s media coverage focuses on the fallout from the Advocate General’s opinion in the case involving caretaker PM Andrey Gurov and his removal as deputy governor of the Bulgarian National Bank, election-related police actions ahead of the April 19 vote, and the economic spillover from the Middle East conflict, particularly through fuel and transport costs.

POLITICS

24 Chasa reports that Advocate General Nicholas Emiliou’s opinion before the Court of Justice of the European Union suggests that EU law allows national rules requiring members of a central bank’s decision-making body to declare corporate and non-profit links and allows early removal where incompatibility or conflict of interest is established.

The daily adds that the opinion is being interpreted as supportive of the Bulgarian National Bank in the dispute over Caretaker PM Andrey Gurov’s removal as deputy governor, although Gurov’s lawyer, Hristo Hristev, says the text is non-binding, does not validate the Bulgarian acts themselves, and leaves the core dispute to the Bulgarian courts.

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Trud reports that MRF Chair and MRF–New Beginning Floor Leader Delyan Peevski says the opinion confirms that Gurov’s appointment as caretaker PM was unlawful and that President Iliana Iotova bears responsibility. The paper adds that constitutional lawyer Plamen Kirov makes a similar argument and links the case to the controversy involving former Continue the Change co-chair Kiril Petkov over his appointment while still holding Canadian citizenship.

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Trud reports that, speaking on Nova TV, Caretaker Minister of the Interior Emil Dechev said the mayor of Kardzhali and party members tried to force their way into a police station after the arrest of the regional postal station head on suspicion of unlawful political agitation and pressure linked to the April 19 elections.

The daily adds that a separate police operation in Sofia led to 24 arrests, 12 fast-track cases concerning election rights, and seizures of about 1 kg of methamphetamine, nearly 700 g of marijuana, and lists of names and sums, most often EUR 50 and EUR 100. The paper says some vote-buying schemes were run through hair salons, branded clothing shops, quick-loan offices and pawnshops.

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24 Chasa reports from Vidin and Lom that GERB leader Boyko Borissov is campaigning on gas development, infrastructure and local investment in Northwest Bulgaria. “Bulgaria can supply Europe with gas,” Borissov says, arguing that shale and conventional gas deposits could turn the country into a much larger energy player and support jobs after the elections.

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Duma reports that BSP leader Krum Zarkov is promising a new model for access to health and social services, tighter control over abuses, and more stable funding for disability support. The paper says he and Varna candidate Dr Dessislav Taskov argue for the return of specialized medical assessment panels in key areas, better pay and oversight for social workers, and durable budget financing rather than project-based support.

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Speaking on Nova TV, Bulgaria Can Chair Kuzman Iliev said Meta had removed his Facebook page on the first day of the campaign over alleged impersonation, which he denied, making him the first Bulgarian party leader to be censored by Facebook. He said a Bulgarian court had ordered the page restored, although it remained unclear whether Facebook would comply.

Iliev also commented on energy security and the Middle East, warning of possible “energy lockdowns” and arguing that the Green Deal had made Europe dependent first on Russian and now on US gas.

On Iran, Iliev said the US and Israel had attacked without knowing what would follow, praised Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez’s refusal to join the war, and argued that the EU and NATO need reform, while Bulgaria should remain in them only if they serve the national interest.

WORLD

Trud reports that NATO expects Bulgaria to spend 2.14% of GDP on defence in 2025, or USD 2.755 billion, keeping the country above the Alliance’s 2% benchmark. The paper adds that 28.43% of the military budget is earmarked for equipment, placing Bulgaria among the allies investing significantly in modernization.

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Trud also reports from the Explore U.S. conference that Washington is seeking deeper business ties with Bulgaria. “We are open to joint business,” acting head of the US Embassy Martin McDowell said. The paper adds that Caretaker Minister of Innovation and Growth Irena Mladenova says the US market remains a leading destination for Bulgarian high-tech exports.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

Mediapool.bg says that Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office has taken from the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime all materials connected with European Public Prosecutor Teodora Georgieva’s allegations against acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov, Sofia city prosecutor Emilia Rusinova and Petyo “the Euro” Petrov. Mediapool adds that Dechev sees “an obvious conflict of interest”, because Rusinova heads the very office that has seized the file while being named in the allegations.

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Mediapool also reports that the high-profile Petya Bankova smuggling case has effectively stalled two years after the arrests, with no sign it will reach court soon. Mediapool says there has been no visible investigative activity for months, that it remains unclear who should finish the case after the closure of the anti-corruption commission, and that the affair was heavily used for political purposes.

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Trud reports that four German nationals were stabbed at two locations in central Sofia on Thursday evening, with two older victims taken to Pirogov and two younger women treated at the Military Medical Academy.

Telegraph adds that Sofia police later detained a 39-year-old woman suspected of the attacks.

bTV reported that there was no danger to the lives of the four foreign nationals. The broadcaster said one of the two German men taken to Pirogov, aged 63, underwent surgery late on Thursday and remained hospitalized, while the other man’s wound was treated and he was released. The two women treated at the Military Medical Academy were also discharged without hospitalization.

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Trud also reports that two illegal slaughterhouses were uncovered in private properties in the village of Chiflik, Kardzhali Municipality, after a joint operation by the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency and the Economic Police. The paper says inspectors found animal ear tags, undocumented beef and hides, suggesting meat had been leaving the sites without traceability or veterinary control, and adds that criminal proceedings will be opened.

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Nova TV reported that, briefing alongside Bulgarian Food Safety Agency Executive Director Angel Mavrovski, Caretaker Minister of Agriculture and Food Ivan Hristanov said operation Clean Food was aimed at restoring the State’s role as guarantor of food quality. “The State’s guarantee of food safety must be an obligation with absolutely no deviations,” Hristanov said. He added that more than 1,000 inspections had already been carried out across the entire chain, from borders and transport to warehouses, slaughterhouses and retail networks.

Hristanov described the situation in Haskovo as “brutal”, saying inspectors had found 150 tonnes of expired food there, alongside 126 violation notices and more than 120 mandatory instructions. Mavrovski said 67 tonnes of meat had been stopped from sale because of expired shelf life, missing Bulgarian labels, missing documents, lack of markings or traceability, and poor storage, while the most serious dairy violations concerned butter imported from Ukraine whose traceability could not be established.

Nova TV said the authorities were launching mass Easter checks and would deepen controls on illegal pesticide imports and on final food operators such as canteens, kitchens, schools and kindergartens.

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Nova TV reported that specialized police operations against vote-buying and other election offences were under way in Kardzhali, Blagoevgrad Region and Burgas Region. The broadcaster said officers were checking shops, pawnshops, exchange bureaux, quick-loan offices and addresses linked to suspected schemes for improper influence over the April 19 parliamentary elections. In Kardzhali, locals denied involvement but said they had heard that the going price of a bought vote was about EUR 50.

Nova TV added that around 30 people had been detained in Blagoevgrad Region, with more than 30 warning protocols issued and four pretrial proceedings opened. The broadcaster also reported that eight people were detained in Karnobat, where police found more than EUR 13,000 in cash, lists of names and sums, images of identity cards, debit cards, and drugs. BNT also covered the Karnobat operation, noting that six pretrial proceedings had been opened against five people, mostly for crimes against citizens’ election rights. BNT and BNR reported that addresses in Blagoevgrad, Petrich, Sandanski, Mikrevo and Razlog were being searched as the operation continued.

ECONOMY

Duma reports that the caretaker government will challenge before the Constitutional Court Parliament’s decision obliging it to take a package of measures against the fuel-price shock. The paper says Caretaker Minister of Finance Georgi Klisurski accepts the spirit of the move but disputes its legal form, while a temporary scheme granting EUR 20 per month to vulnerable citizens with one registered non-electric car has already opened for applications. Duma adds that Caretaker Minister of Labour and Social Policy Hasan Ademov says the money will be paid in April and that separate measures for business are being prepared.

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Capital says that the war in Iran is expected to push up fuel and food prices in Bulgaria without creating serious shortages of energy supplies. The weekly says most economists still expect GDP growth of a little below 3% this year, but see stronger pressure on transport, tourism, logistics, metallurgy, chemicals and food production, alongside a moderate inflation pickup and more expensive state borrowing. Capital also reports that transport companies are absorbing most of the immediate fuel shock rather than passing it on to clients, with fuel costs for road hauliers rising by about EUR 0.10 per km.

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Dnevnik adds that Bulgarian tour operators want force-majeure insurance and a rethink of EU package-travel rules for trips outside the Union after the Middle East crisis left agencies paying twice to bring clients home. The daily says the sector is drafting crisis protocols with the foreign ministry and the tourism ministry, while bookings for parts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East have fallen sharply.

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Capital reports that Chinese automaker BYD has formally entered Bulgaria, its 36th European market, with seven electric and plug-in hybrid models, two dealerships in Sofia and an eight-year battery warranty. Capital says the cheapest model starts below EUR 20,000 and that the Chinese manufacturer plans further outlets in Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas.

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Mediapool reports that former Road Infrastructure Agency head Yordan Valchev rejects allegations of irregularities and says nearly all of the roughly EUR 2.2 billion available under maintenance contracts was assigned in order to catch up on delayed repairs. The daily adds that he defends the use of contract addenda and says the agency repaired more than 10% of the national road network, while critics continue to question both the legal basis and the quality of the works.

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Bulgarian National Television (BNT) reported that Caretaker Minister of Culture Nayden Todorov said more than BGN 500,000 under contracts from last year remained unpaid, while the National Culture Fund had returned more than BGN 5 million at the end of 2025. He said the fund had been in a very difficult state and had turned from a key policy instrument into a source of scandals, prompting him to send the Culture Ministry’s inspectorate there.

Todorov also said the ministry itself had been partly blocked after more than 80 employees were dismissed, weakening continuity and institutional memory. He added that the current funding model for the performing arts no longer works, that most of the system ended 2025 in serious deficit, and that the ministry had prepared a draft reform of the financing model, which cannot proceed without Parliament.

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Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) reported that the tender for the design and author’s supervision of the National Children’s Hospital was launched on Friday morning. The radio said the contract was worth more than EUR 6 million, the design stage would take at least seven months, and bids could be submitted until May 4.

BNR added that the future hospital is planned to include 26 clinics and wards, a helipad, parking, and technical and support facilities, with the design to cover conceptual, technical and working stages in line with current medical standards and regulatory requirements.

SOCIETY

Dnevnik reports that the Sts. Cyril and Methodius National Library has been given the status of a scientific organization after rushed amendments to the Public Libraries Act proposed by There Is Such a People (TISP) and backed by all parliamentary groups except Vazrazhdane. The change may eventually allow the library to seek accreditation to train PhD students, which university representatives criticize as institutionally unsound and potentially harmful to the value of academic titles.

Dnevnik adds that the same scientific status is being extended to all 27 regional libraries and that the amendments were passed without full committee scrutiny, despite earlier objections from the education ministry that the text needed major redrafting.

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Mediapool says that long queues, informal paper lists and repeated overnight waits continue outside the Migration Service in Plovdiv as demand from foreign workers, students and people under protection exceeds the office’s capacity. The outlet says more than 12,000 foreigners passed through the sector in 2025, while the police have proposed more staff and many applicants say electronic service would ease the pressure.