site.btaMedia Review: June 12

OVERVIEW

No single topic dominates Friday’s media.

POLITICS

Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov in an interview for Bulgarian National Television’s morning programme said that ammunition or weaponry cannot be provided if doing so would violate the law and reduce stocks below the required minimum levels. Commenting on military assistance to Ukraine, he noted that the Bulgarian Army's weapons stockpiles are maintained in line with regulatory requirements, meaning that the armed forces must sustain a specific level of readiness with a defined quantity of ammunition and equipment. He added that the Defence Ministry has published a list of surplus items no longer needed by the armed forces, but there has been no interest in acquiring them. Asked whether halting military assistance to Ukraine places Bulgaria in an unpopular international position, Stoyanov replied: "Not at all."

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In an interview for Telegraph.bg, security expert Tihomir Bezlov of the Center for the Study of Democracy discusses Bulgaria's decision to halt military aid to Ukraine and argues that the move is largely political rather than an actual major change in practice. According to Bezlov, many observers believe the decision is aimed at satisfying the electorate of Progressive Bulgaria, which had campaigned on promises to stop aid to Ukraine and claimed that Bulgaria was spending excessive resources on the war. Bezlov argued that these claims are misleading because Bulgaria's direct budgetary cost for military assistance has been relatively small—around EUR 21–22 million. He said that much of what was described as "aid" was actually the sale or transfer of outdated military equipment and ammunition that Bulgaria would otherwise have had to destroy at significant expense once it expired. Bulgaria sent old ammunition and equipment to Ukraine while acquiring newer stocks. The transferred materiel included ammunition, tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and old armoured personnel carriers that had long been in storage and were often useful mainly for spare parts. Bezlov noted that Bulgaria also received substantial compensation from its partners, including a major payment from Denmark worth roughly EUR 243 million for military aid supplied from Bulgarian stockpiles. He added that some Western experts believe Bulgaria was compensated at prices above the actual market value of the old equipment. He pointed out that, according to Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov, while Bulgaria may stop providing weapons as state military assistance, it is not stopping arms exports and commercial weapons sales to Ukraine.

FOREIGN POLITICS

The Berlin Wall in Serbia has not collapsed, this is the only country on the Balkans that has not changed, journalist Lyubcho Neshkov told bTVs morning programme. "There was a timid attempt and it ended with the assassination of the prime minister in the centre of Belgrade. This is a country that has preserved absolutely all the structures the way Stalin built them in 1945. And they are transferring this thing to neighbouring countries," Neshkov believes. Neshkov also commented on the participation of the President of North Macedonia Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova in the Summit of the South-East European Cooperation Process, which was hosted by President Iliana Iotova. During the forum, she chose to speak to Bulgarian journalists in English. "Now it’s English, last time it was the flag, before that it was flip-flops and so on. This is not even the agenda of the European institutions. This is not the agenda of North Macedonia either. They don’t even behave like North Macedonians, and the main issue they raise from morning to night is about identity, language and nationality, which we do not recognize," the journalist explained. Neshkov shared that when asked by a Bulgarian journalist: "How will you react to this attack on your identity by Serbia?", Siljanovska exploded. "Isn’t Sofia the best place to speak North Macedonian, because this is part of your strategy? It is very dangerous to enter into this debate, because this debate is foreign. This debate is not about North Macedonia either." "Just two days ago in the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs - AFET, in the latest report on North Macedonia, wrote: "Serbian world". This is a country that is currently captive and completely subordinate to this ideology, and practically all of its foreign policy decisions are related to this world, which can again destabilize the region as it did 30 years ago. And these are the biggest risks not only for North Macedonia, not only for the region, but also for the entire European Union," Neshkov added.

ECONOMY

Capital Weekly’s leading article is on Bulgaria’s final steps to join the OECD. Membership in the organization is a seal of quality for institutions and a driver for pro-market reforms. Despite political instability since 2022, Bulgaria has made significant progress towards membership. The ambition is to complete the process this year, but several key steps remain, and there is also a political moment in the final decision. OECD membership provides an impetus for reforms and is expected to open up new opportunities for business. Companies from various sectors that Capital talked to expect membership to have real benefits for business. Some define OECD membership as even more important than adopting the euro, and also as the final step in Bulgaria's integration into the Western economic architecture. The organization is perceived primarily as a certificate of quality - a signal that institutions, regulations and the business environment follow the same standards as those in the most developed countries. Speaking to Capital, Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Pekanov defined joining the OECD as a strategic goal for Bulgaria and confirmed the state's commitment to it happening "as quickly as possible". "We will continue our efforts to join the OECD. This is a strategic goal that will strengthen the country's trust, investment climate and the quality of public policies. Accelerating the necessary reforms and effective coordination between institutions remain key to the successful completion of the process. After the technical reviews are completed, our focus in the coming months is on the remaining key areas. These are the investment climate, corporate governance, public integrity, trade and resource efficiency. We are actively working with all responsible institutions so that Bulgaria completes the technical phase as quickly as possible and moves to the next stage - a decision on an invitation for membership," Pekanov said. The OECD accession process has already led to real legislative improvements in Bulgaria, but the key issue remains implementation, and it is there that the potential for real impact and achieving the positive effects of OECD membership lies, the article says.

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Mediapool.bg reports that the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant and French nuclear company Orano Recycling are exploring the possibility of recycling Bulgaria's spent nuclear fuel in France. The two companies have signed a non-binding cooperation agreement and are in the early stages of discussions. The likely recycling site would be La Hague nuclear waste reprocessing plant, one of the world's leading spent-fuel recycling facilities. Bulgaria currently has around 4,500 spent fuel assemblies in storage, including fuel from older Soviet-designed reactors from its operating units. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Bulgaria has stopped shipping spent fuel to Russia for reprocessing, creating a need for alternative solutions. Recycling Russian-designed fuel in France would require a specialized facility, and Orano is reportedly trying to combine fuel inventories from Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary and Slovenia to make such an investment economically viable. The issue is becoming more urgent because Bulgaria is now using fuel supplied by Westinghouse Electric Company and is preparing to introduce fuel from Framatome. The responsibility for managing the resulting nuclear waste lies with Kozloduy NPP. Bulgaria's draft spent-fuel strategy already contemplates the possibility of sending spent fuel to France after 2030. At La Hague, spent fuel is processed over roughly 10 years: fuel is cooled in storage pools for several years, it is cut into small pieces and dissolved in nitric acid and about 96% of the material is recovered: 95% uranium, 1% plutonium. These materials are reused to manufacture mixed uranium-plutonium oxide fuel, reducing the need for newly mined uranium by about 25%. The remaining highly radioactive waste is turned into stable glass blocks for long-term storage. Bulgaria is looking at France as a long-term alternative to Russia for managing and recycling its growing stockpile of spent nuclear fuel, the article says.

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Segabg.com runs an article explaining the implications of the recent decision by the Financial Supervision Commission (FSC) to permanently revoke the insurance license of DallBogg: Life and Health. Although the insurance company owns the pension company, the two are legally separate entities. According to FSC, the pensions and savings of customers remain fully protected. The insurance company no longer meets the legal requirements to own a pension insurance company. Court-appointed administrators will have to either: find a new owner for the pension company, or transfer its clients to other pension funds. Customers do not need to wait for this process and may voluntarily transfer their pension accounts to another universal pension fund at any time, provided they meet the legal conditions. FSC’s deputy head Diana Yordanova said, the Commission is closely monitoring the situation and has put safeguards in place to protect pension savers and retirees. As of March 2026 the pension fund served 51,269 members, about 1.23% of all participants in Bulgaria's universal pension funds. There were also about 100 pension recipients receiving pension or phased payments. Despite the company's problems, some people continued transferring into the fund. Nevertheless, about 2,000 people left the fund, resulting in a net loss of 272 members this year. The fund held approximately EUR 98.6 million in net assets; the average account balance was about EUR 1,916; the fund's two-year return was 2.69%, lower than that of competing pension funds. It is the newest pension fund in Bulgaria. The article advises people how they may transfer their individual pension accounts from one universal pension fund to another. A transfer is permitted once one year has passed since the most recent of the following events: signing a first pension insurance contract, or being assigned to a fund automatically; resuming participation in a pension fund after an interruption; a previous transfer from one pension fund to another. An application must be submitted to the pension insurance company that manages the fund the person wishes to join. This can be done in person at one of the company's offices; through a licensed pension insurance intermediary; electronically (online), if the company offers that option. The transfer is free of charge. The change becomes effective on the date your accumulated funds are transferred to the newly selected pension fund.

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Dnevnik.bg examines the financial performance and management of the National Palace of Culture (NDK) during 2025 and early 2026. NDK's revenues declined by 3.3% in 2025 to about EUR 8.4 million, while expenses increased nearly 15% to EUR 10.2 million. Salary costs rose by about one-third and now account for more than half of all expenses. The Board of Directors' compensation nearly doubled, while the salary of Executive Director Andriyana Tatarova reportedly increased fivefold, reaching about EUR 13,680 per month. NDK employs around 292 people, up by roughly 30 employees from the previous year. Most are operational staff, while about 30 are administrative personnel. According to the latest detailed audited report from 2024, the average annual salary of regular employees was approximately EUR 11,800 (less than EUR 1,000 per month), significantly lower than management pay. NDK has been operating at a loss for several years, the article says. In 2025, it recorded a loss of approximately EUR 1.75 million. The company's accumulated losses reached nearly EUR 49 million by the end of 2025. Management argues that a major reason for these losses is depreciation of the NDK building, which reduces the value of the company's assets and capital. Auditors have repeatedly warned of material uncertainty regarding NDK's ability to continue, largely due to depreciation pressures and the size of its property portfolio. Management says employee salaries had been below market levels and therefore increased wages by: 20% in 2024, 15% in 2025, 15% again in early 2026. These increases exceeded both inflation and average national wage growth. NDK's main income sources are: hosting events, renting halls and premises, and management claims occupancy of halls and conference spaces is at record levels, with much of the capacity for 2027 and even 2028 already booked. NDK plans to launch its own digital ticketing platform and expects it to boost revenues, although no timetable has been announced. During the first quarter of 2026, NDK posted another loss of about EUR 1.6 million. Revenue was approximately EUR 2.17 million, while expenses reached EUR 3.76 million. Salary expenses remained the largest cost item. Directors' compensation in just the first three months of 2026 exceeded EUR 80,000, about 30% of the total director-pay expense for all of 2025. NDK hired six additional employees during the quarter. Despite its accumulated losses, NDK has no bank debt and holds nearly EUR 9 million in cash deposits spread across five banks.

JUSTICE

Bulgarian National Radio reports that the Administrative Court in Blagoevgrad has resumed hearing cases related to the so-called "French unemployment" scheme after receiving a ruling from the Court of Justice of the European Union on whether amendments to Bulgaria's Social Insurance Code conflict with EU regulations governing unemployment benefits. The answer from the Luxembourg-based court was clear: no. The court found that the Bulgarian legislative changes do not violate EU law. As a result, proceedings that had been suspended for nearly a year and a half have now resumed. The key question is whether the amendments succeeded in stopping the abuse of Bulgaria's unemployment insurance system through short-term, often fictitious employment in wealthier EU countries, and whether interest in the scheme has declined in Blagoevgrad Region, which had become the national hotspot for such claims. According to Ilian Georgiev, head of the Blagoevgrad territorial branch of the National Social Security Institute, the first signs of the scheme appeared as early as 2015. Over time, it grew to such proportions that lawmakers were forced to amend the legislation in the summer of 2024. The scheme worked as follows: individuals would obtain documentation showing that they had worked for only a few days in countries such as France, Spain, or Portugal. Using EU social security coordination rules, they could then return to Bulgaria and qualify for unemployment benefits far higher than typical domestic levels, often without having held meaningful employment abroad. Before the legal changes, some beneficiaries received unemployment payments exceeding the average Bulgarian salary. Blagoevgrad Region became the record-holder, with more than 7,000 applications and monthly benefits reaching up to BGN 1,800. According to rough estimates, claims originating from Blagoevgrad alone may have cost Bulgaria's National Social Security Institute more than BGN 120 million. The 2024 amendments dramatically changed the calculation method for unemployment benefits. As a result, payments to people who had worked only briefly in another EU member state fell by nearly threefold. The changes triggered a wave of litigation. More than 1,000 lawsuits were filed against the Institute’s decisions, challenging the reduced benefit amounts. A local law firm helped bring the issue before the European courts, while the Blagoevgrad Administrative Court also submitted a preliminary reference to the EU Court of Justice. The cases remained frozen until last month, pending the European court's ruling. Since proceedings resumed, all decisions issued so far have been in favour of the National Social Security Institute. While officials believe this particular loophole has largely been closed, concerns remain about other forms of abuse of the social security system, particularly through fraudulent sick-leave claims and disability certification decisions.

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Nova TV's morning programme reported that authorities are investigating two separate environmental controversies along the southern Black Sea coast: a proposed caravan and camping site near Butamyata Beach and the reported destruction of protected gray sand dunes near Kavatsi Camping. The Burgas District Prosecutor's Office found potential legal violations in the decision by the Tsarevo Municipal Council to lease 35 decares of municipal land for caravans, campers, and tents. Prosecutors concluded that two of the four parcels involved were privately owned municipal property, which the municipal council did not have the legal authority to lease. They also found procedural concerns because the land lies within both a protected area and the Strandzha Nature Park, and no prior environmental assessment had been sought. "The Municipal Council had no legal authority to lease out privately owned municipal property," Prosecutor Hristo Kolev said. The municipality responded that it had sent the council's decisions to prosecutors in February and had received no objections at the time. It also stated that it would comply fully with any court ruling. In another case, environmental authorities are investigating reports that nearly 15 decares of protected gray dunes near Kavatsi have been damaged. Part of the affected area overlaps with a major water supply and sewage infrastructure project that had received all required environmental permits. However, some dunes were reclassified and mapped only after the permits had been issued, creating uncertainty about whether all the damage is covered by the project's approvals. "We are assessing which impacts on the dunes are related to the approved project and which occurred outside its route," Pavel Marinov, head of the regional environmental inspectorate, said. The utility company responsible for the project stated that it had obtained all necessary permits and denied any involvement in excavation work on the opposite side of the road, where additional damage was reported. Environmental inspectors plan to refer the matter to prosecutors, who say a formal investigation will begin if an official complaint is submitted.

SOCIETY

According to data from the National Social Security Institute, the actual retirement age has increased over the past decade, but the impact has been very different for men and women, Trud’s front-page article says. In 2024, women retired on average at 63.9 years, while men retired at 65.9 years. Ten years earlier (2015), women retired at 62.2 years and men at 64.9 years. Over the decade, women's actual retirement age increased by 1.7 years, men's actual retirement age increased by 1 year. The article says that for women, the higher retirement age has largely been offset by longer life expectancy, in 2015, women received retirement pensions for an average of 27.1 years, in 2024, they received pensions for an average of 27.4 years, so despite retiring later, women are spending slightly more time in retirement than they did a decade ago. The situation is very different for men, in 2015, men received pensions for an average of 22.6 years, in 2024, that figure had fallen to 19.9 years. This represents a decline of 2.7 years in the average period during which men collect pensions. The article argues that one reason for this reduction is the policy of gradually increasing the retirement age. The difference between how long women and men receive pensions has widened. In 2015, women collected pensions on average 4.5 years longer than men, by 2024, the gap had grown to 7.5 years. At the same time, the pension calculation formula is the same for both sexes. Therefore, men and women with identical careers, contribution histories, and earnings receive the same monthly pension, but women receive those payments for significantly longer on average. In 2025, for standard (third-category) employment men must be 64 years and 9 months old to qualify for a pension, women must be 62 years and 6 months old.

LOCAL POLITICS

24Chasa interviewed the leading candidate for mayor of Sofia’s Sredets district, Traicho Traikov, as elections will be held on Sunday, June 14. They were scheduled after the mayor took to post of caretaker Energy Minister in the Andrey Gurov caretaker government. In the center of Sofia, there must be conditions for a good life for the people who call it their home, Traikov said. "Only this way will it remain a vibrant and authentic part of our city, and this has always been the focus of my work as mayor." At meetings with the public, "we talk about everything, from very specific local problems to national and international politics. I am most uncomfortable, however, when it comes to waste collection and cleaning, as it is an extremely important topic, perhaps the most important for people, which is completely centralized both contractually and through the exercising of control." Asked about his plans on improving traffic in the city centre, he said this would be done through implementing proven, working models like limiting incoming and transit traffic, and creating attractive conditions for pedestrians, and by building parking lots where possible. "We are ready with the design of a parking lot under Gurko Street. But the people who live in Sredets should not be left without an alternative." Asked about the future of the Knyazheska Garden and the Monument to the Soviet Army, Traikov said that there are different ideas, but the best one, in his opinion, is to give the monument and garden its pre-war appearance - a wonderful example of garden and park art. "But this must be decided transparently and professionally, and a commitment from the state is also necessary," Traikov added.

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Duma.bg runs an interview with the Bulgarian Socialist Party - United Left candidate for mayor of the Sredets district. The residents of the district expect results from the mayor, not experiments, Plamena Zayachka said. "From the meetings with citizens that I held during the campaign, one of their main wishes stood out very clearly - to have a mayor who would treat their problems with care. Yes, the mayor does not have enough powers. Yes, in general, there is a need for reform in local self-government. But it is equally true that the mayor is obliged to be a good steward of his district. To look for ways and fight for a solution to the problems," Zayachka added. She said that citizens should have the opportunity to actively participate in the decision-making processes for the district in which they live. "Polls and local referendums are very good tools that have been greatly neglected in the governance of the region so far. Citizens must actively participate in the processes in order to be informed and effectively exercise control over the mayor they have elected. Only then will governance be good," Zayachka noted. The city center belongs to all Sofia residents, but residents of the district should have priority when parking their cars. Because it is not normal for citizens to spend 30-40 minutes driving around the streets around their homes because there is nowhere to park their car. And they have paid for a subscription. And the funds from paid parking do not go for their intended purpose - to build ground, underground or multi-storey parking lots. How many such parking lots have been built so far? "The citizens of Sredets expect results, not long-term projects," Zayachka commented. According to her, one of the main weaknesses of the district administration in Sredets is the attitude towards culture. "As a person who is professionally involved in the development of culture, the preservation of cultural heritage and the development of cultural tourism, I cannot accept such an attitude. The museums located on the territory of the Sredets district are not even announced on the municipality's website. Not to mention the use of expert potential and the attraction of tourists, as well as the development of cultural tourism. It is extremely important to create a programme for the restoration and conservation of old facades, architectural ensembles," she said.