site.btaMedia Review: October 29

HEADLINES 

Duma reports that a rotating chairmanship of the National Assembly will be formally included in the joint governance agreement. The daily quotes Joint Governance Council Chair Kostadin Angelov, who made the announcement at a news briefing in Parliament on Tuesday. 

24 Chasa reports that the draft public social insurance budget for 2026 envisages higher pension insurance contributions, a lower minimum wage than previously planned, and a higher maximum contributory income, among other measures. The daily also has a headline saying that within 14 months, Bulgaria will have factories producing gunpowder and ammunition in partnership with the German corporation Rheinmetall. 24 Chasa writes that Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger, CEO of the Weapons and Ammunition Division Roman Kohne, and VMZ Ordnance Plant Executive Director Ivan Getsov signed an agreement to establish a joint venture on Tuesday, adding that the project involves an investment of EUR 1 billion to build a facility for gunpowder and 155-mm ammunition in Sopot. The topic is covered by all dailies. 

Trud cites a Trend survey commissioned by the Expert Club of Economy and Politics, which shows that only 25% of Bulgarians manage to save money. The most common forms of saving are bank deposits and real estate purchases. The survey shows that people aged 18 to 29 save the least, while those between 40 and 60 are the most active savers, the daily adds.

Telegraph quotes Rumen Draganov, Director of the Institute for Analysis and Assessment in Tourism, as saying that around 320,000 Bulgarians are expected to travel during the upcoming fall break, which runs from October 31 to November 3 and affects 716,000 schoolchildren. Most travelers are expected to stay in spa hotels and guesthouses across the country, while 22,000 people are expected to take part in celebrations marking National Awakeners’ Day on November 1.

POLITICS

Guests on TV morning programmes and Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) discussed the coalition partners’ decision to rotate the chairmanship of Parliament, which led to the resignation of National Assembly Chair Nataliya Kiselova and her replacement by Raya Nazaryan earlier on Wednesday.

Interviewed on BNR, Vasil Tonchev from the Sova Harris polling agency said that Kiselova's resignation "has no significance for Parliament’s work but it has great significance for the situation within the BSP [Bulgarian Socialist Party]." He suggested that an opposition bloc might emerge within the party against its current leadership. Tonchev added that, in the event of a caretaker government, Kiselova would have been "the number-one candidate for caretaker prime minister." "This is something that GERB and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) – New Beginning would not have accepted," he said, noting that "that is the main reason this rotation took place."

Speaking on Nova TV's morning programme, Ruzha Raycheva, a journalist with OFFNews, said: "[GERB leader] Boyko Borissov said that GERB bears great responsibility, but by appointing Raya Nazaryan as Parliament Chair, they are taking on even greater responsibility." Raycheva noted that "during his heated news briefing, Borissov mentioned the possibility of the post going to a representative of the MRF – New Beginning." "That was not just a friendly gesture but a way of sharing responsibility and making their role visible," she added. They do not want to carry that responsibility; the current situation suits them better, Raycheva said, adding that "Kiselova was removed because something had to happen after Borissov’s rant." According to Raycheva, "the coalition will fall apart with a bang."

Appearing on Bulgarian National Television (BNT), Haralan Aleksandrov described the rotation of the parliamentary chair as "a fully acceptable compromise for the BSP, considering the Government’s broader goals." He said BSP was acting "professionally, politically maturely, and cooperatively." Aleksandrov added that the MRF – New Beginning was now "clearly fully integrated into the [governing] majority, and this way, the construction becomes more stable."

ECONOMY

BNR has an interview with former labour and social policy minister Hristina Hristova, who said that the planned increase in pension insurance contributions by 2% in 2026 and a further 1% in 2028 is a step toward improving the revenue side of Bulgaria’s pension system. She noted that this country has major problems with its pension system, adding that there were several issues requiring "tough political decisions." "Obviously, these will not be put on the table during this budget procedure, and no work will be done on them," she added. Hristova said that she had expected an analysis and concrete proposals to address the system’s financial sustainability. "The problem lies not only in the revenue side but also in the expenditure side of the pension system," she added. 

Also on BNR, Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva called for the establishment of a clear formula for calculating heating bills. In a letter to Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov, she had called for urgent action after the Supreme Administrative Court suspended the current formula used to calculate the share of heat energy distributed through building installations in buildings in co-ownership. Delcheva recalled that the issue has existed since the beginning of the year. She said she had expected a replacement mechanism to be developed by now to prevent chaos during the heating season and to give heating accountants clarity on how to calculate the relevant portion of energy consumption.

Speaking on bTV's morning programme, Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association Management Board President Vasil Velev said that the new state budget "digs even deeper into the pockets of Bulgarian workers." He described the planned rise in contributions as "one of the worst ways to increase budget revenues, as it is the unfairest." He argued that the measure does not affect employees in the public sector - whose wages are again planned to rise in defence, security, and the judiciary, sectors that do not pay contributions - but instead leads to disadvantages for those working under labour contracts.

Commenting on the topic on Nova TV’s morning programme, Hristova, economist Nikola Filipov, and financier Levon Hampartzoumian agreed that higher pension insurance contributions do not necessarily mean higher pensions in the future but rather indicate that the pension system is struggling. The three also shared the view that increasing wages - particularly in the public sector - inevitably fuels inflation in the country.

LUKOIL

Duma reports that Russian energy giant Lukoil has begun selling its international assets due to sanctions imposed by the United States on the company and its subsidiaries, set to take effect on November 21, 2025.

On Bulgarian National Television (BNT), Andrey Delchev, Executive Director of the Bulgarian Oil and Gas Association, commented on the issue, noting that the US and UK sanctions are largely identical in content and do not have direct legal effect in Bulgaria. The negative impact will be felt not from the sanctions having a direct effect in Bulgaria but from banks ceasing to service the affected entities, he added. "The measures took us by surprise. They were not expected at this particular moment. Yet, the Government has responded adequately, and I believe it will continue to do so if it moves toward extending the deadlines that have been set," Delchev said. He added that "measures regarding Lukoil must be taken by November 21, and since it is inconceivable to sell the company’s international assets in such a short time, the first step should be to extend the deadline. 

In an interview with Mediapool.bg, Martin Vladimirov, Director of the Energy and Climate Programme at the Centre for the Study of Democracy, said that Bulgaria must quickly take control of Lukoil Neftochim and sell it. The country risks finding itself in the same situation as Serbia, which, in his words, will run out of oil by November 15. Vladimirov said that Bulgaria should request a sanctions exemption, which would allow it to appoint a special administrator to arrange the change of ownership and ensure the security of supplies. He recalled that, under a law that came into force in early 2023, the State may appoint such an administrator in cases posing a threat to national energy security. This administrator can supervise the purchase of crude oil and the sale of fuels. Vladimirov added that the special administrator should be given broader powers, including the authority to negotiate the sale of Lukoil’s assets, noting that Parliament should act quickly to adopt the necessary legal amendments. He cited as an example Germany, where the law was updated in 2022 to allow the State to take control of and sell Rosneft-owned refineries. Bulgaria could draw on this experience, he said. Asked about the risk of a fuel crisis in the Balkans - and particularly in Bulgaria - over the next 25 days, Vladimirov said that there would be no immediate threat to supplies, since the refinery has reserves for about 45–50 days. After that, the country can rely on its strategic, or wartime, reserves, which are sufficient for about 180 days. He added that if Lukoil were unable to operate its storage facilities or trade fuels, Bulgaria could sustain itself until March.

JUSTICE

All print dailies report on the Sofia City Court’s decision to remand in custody now former Bulgarian National Patients’ Organization chair Stanimir Hasurdjiev in connection with the alleged coercion of a 20-year-old man, who claims that he has been drugged and held captive. Actor Rosen Belov and Greek model Anastasios Michailidis were initially placed under house arrest, but on Tuesday the court ruled that they, too, should be held in custody. A fourth defendant, a former member of the French Foreign Legion, was also remanded in custody. The court justified its decision by stating that the defendants pose a danger to society.