site.btaMedia Review: November 13

Media topics are dominated by the sanctions on Lukoil and the draft 2026 State Budget. GERB leader Boyko Borissov expressed confidence that Bulgaria will be granted a new fuel derogation and assured there is no risk of fuel shortages. The 2026 budget continues to draw criticism from business representatives, who describe it as lacking reforms, vision, and transparency, and argue that it imposes a heavier burden on working people. Tensions between the government and employers escalated after the tripartite council meeting on Thursday was cancelled due to the employers’ refusal to participate, raising further concerns about the absence of dialogue in the budget process.

LUKOIL SANCTIONS

In a review article, 24 Chasa writes that the state is ready with the appointment of a special administrator for Lukoil. Azerbaijani and Turkish investors are reportedly hoping to acquire the company by January 1, 2026. President Rumen Radev, however, vetoed the legislative amendments enabling the appointment of the special administrator, while the ruling majority is determined to override the veto.

Dnevnik follows the developments, commentary, and analysis related to Lukoil and the sanctions, the next steps of the government, and the effects in other countries where Lukoil owns assets and how they respond. Under the headline “Energy Committee Overturns Presidential Veto on Amendments Allowing Nationalization of Lukoil,” the publication reports that the parliamentary energy committee overturned Radev’s veto on the Act on Administrative Regulation of Economic Activities Associated with Oil and Petroleum Product. The recent amendments expand the powers of Lukoil’s special administrator, allowing them to manage the company’s assets with limited administrative or judicial oversight. The changes also permit nationalization of the refinery.

bTV quotes GERB leader Boyko Borissov as saying in Parliament regarding the Lukoil case that he is “convinced Bulgaria will receive a derogation.” Borissov said there is no risk of fuel shortages and accused President Rumen Radev of deliberately delaying the decision: “Rumen Radev did everything possible to slow down the process. This means we have one week less to react. But I can guarantee Bulgarians that the country will receive a derogation,” he said.

2026 BUDGET

Dnevnik reports that a parliamentary budget committee meeting failed due to lack of quorum. The session, meant to hear trade unions and employer organisations on the draft 2026 State Budget, saw no attendance from the governing majority except chair Delyan Dobrev (GERB). Employers and unions largely boycotted the meeting in protest against planned increases in tax and social security burdens. CITUB chief economist Lyuboslav Kostov left in response to the absent stakeholders, and the only employer present, Dimitar Chobanov, was not given the floor. Meanwhile, the government announced a National Council for Tripartite Cooperation meeting on Thursday, but the main employer associations again refused participation, citing opposition to the proposed budget rather than political motives.

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On its front page, Mediapool publishes an interview with former deputy prime minister Ivaylo Kalfin, who says that the state administration should be reduced, but not demonized. According to Kalfin, it makes no sense to debate whether civil servants should pay their own social security contributions. He argues that only criticism of the 2026 draft budget is being heard because the government has withdrawn and failed to defend it. The 2026 budget is neither left-wing nor right-wing, he says, it introduces no new policies. Kalfin believes the country is now paying the price of the political instability of recent years. He also notes that social security contributions should not be raised without a roadmap for reforming the pension system, and warns that when public services are privatised, only a small group of people benefit. “The administration is not a bunch of freeloaders we are feeding,” he adds.

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In an interview for bTV’s morning programme, Dobromir Ivanov, CEO of the Bulgarian Entrepreneurial Association, commented on the draft 2026 State Budget, saying that “around BGN 5,500 per year have effectively disappeared from a family’s budget”. Ivanov criticised the lack of public consultation before the budget’s submission to Parliament, describing it as “a very bad signal”. He stressed that politicians and civil servants are “public servants who operate with citizens’ money” and that the link between taxpayers and those managing public funds is being lost. According to Ivanov, political decisions on social security contributions have a direct financial impact on households. He explained that due to the higher maximum insurance threshold and the increased contribution rates, “about BGN 232 per month, or over BGN 2,700 per year per person, will disappear from paycheques”. For a household with two working adults, this amounts to roughly BGN 5,500 a year. He also urged citizens to take a more active interest in politics, warning that indifference to elections and fiscal policy “comes at a direct cost from people’s own pockets”.

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In an interview with Bulgarian National Radio, Aleksandar Noutsov, Director for Policy and Strategic Development at the Bulgarian Entrepreneurial Association, commented on the cancellation of today’s meeting of the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation, which employers refused to attend. He said the draft 2026 state budget “looks like a spreadsheet given to ChatGPT to arrange a 3% deficit,” adding that it lacks vision, reforms and clear policies. According to Noutsov, the new budget once again affects legitimate businesses and working people, while being prepared without broad public discussion or the involvement of employers and employees — a process that, in his words, “delegitimizes the entire effort”.

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Nova TV's morning show is adding another perspective on the budget and financial policy with an interview with former interior minister Veselin Vuchkov, commenting that, according to data from the National Social Security Institute, 4,779 people in the Interior Ministry system receive both a salary and a pension. He stressed that from a purely financial perspective, the expenditure for these employees is enormous. Nearly 2,000 more people are employed in administrative positions under the Civil Servant Act and the Labour Code, he added. Vuchkov described the figures as alarming, noting that such a practice does not exist elsewhere in the world and that until about seven or eight years ago it was prohibited even in Bulgaria. He was commenting on reports showing that many people in the Interior Ministry are allowed to receive simultaneously a pension, disability benefits and a salary.

SOFIA MUNICIPALITY

Mediapool presents the views of political scientists Milen Lyubenov and Ivo Indzhov and journalist Petko Georgiev on Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev’s performance midway through his term and his handling of ongoing crises. The analysts describe Terziev’s two years in office as marked by political instability, recurring management problems, and a lack of clear vision. Lyubenov points to chaotic governance, frequent staff changes and crises such as those with public transport and waste collection. Indzhov argues that Terziev has failed to decisively confront corruption and the entrenched networks of the previous administration, while Georgiev sees his efforts as an “unequal struggle” against a hostile municipal council and unsupportive institutions. They attribute the crises to both poor planning and resistance from entrenched local interests. While Lyubenov and Indzhov doubt the existence of a coherent long-term strategy, Georgiev maintains that Terziev’s business background suggests he has vision but faces systemic political obstruction. All three agree that significant change in Sofia is unlikely before the end of the mayor’s term, unless the national political climate shifts to allow more constructive cooperation between the central government and the capital’s administration.

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Telegraph reports that the replacement of heating pipes in Sofia’s Druzhba 2 district will prevent rodents and cockroaches from entering apartment blocks. Contractors note that pest prevention is a side benefit of the installation method, which uses metal pipes insulated with foam and plastic coating and fitted with sensor cables to detect faults. Unlike the old hollow concrete ducts from the 1980s, the new system leaves no gaps for pests, with pipes laid on sandbags, tested under high pressure, and covered with sand and soil. Contractors will restore pavements, benches, and other areas affected by the works.

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Sega, along with several other media outlets, reports that six Sofia districts remain without waste collection contractors after the Sofia Municipality terminated two of the seven lots in its major tender for cleaning services in 20 districts. The municipal administration, led by Mayor Vassil Terziev, has halted the selection process for the two zones due to insufficient competition and will now seek companies through direct negotiation procedures. According to the published termination decisions, the tenders were stopped because only one bidder in each case submitted a valid price offer, both of which were significantly higher than the municipality’s projected costs.

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Sega, citing Bulgarian National Radio, reports that an expanded environmental restriction on vehicles in central Sofia will take effect on December 1, as announced by the Sofia Municipality. From December 1 to February 28, 2026, vehicles that do not meet the relevant environmental standards will be banned from entering designated low-emission zones. The measure, previously covering only the so-called “small ring” area enclosed by the boulevards Vasil Levski, Patriarch Evtimiy, Slivnitsa, Gen. Skobelev and Opalchenska Street, will now also apply to vehicles from the first eco group entering the larger “big ring” zone, which is about five times larger in area. Deputy Mayor for Environment Nadezhda Bocheva stressed that the measure is not anti-social but aims to protect public health, adding that stricter measures may follow if necessary. Deputy Mayor for Transport Viktor Chaushev said 180 cameras will monitor compliance through an automated system linked to the traffic police database, with fines of BGN 50 for individuals and up to BGN 1,000 for companies. He encouraged the use of public transport, noting that the central network is well developed.

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In an interview with 24 Chasa, former education minister Sergey Ignatov says students up to seventh grade are overburdened. He stresses that rules and boundaries provide security only when combined with care and attention. Ignatov notes that discipline marks can negatively affect students who might later contribute significantly to society. He highlights that the goal of secondary education is to develop well-rounded individuals and observes that children from at-risk groups who commit to sports are less likely to engage in crime and often achieve recognition, such as having the national anthem played for them.

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Trud reports that Bulgarian driver Nikola Tsolov will make his Formula 2 debut later in 2025. Tsolov, runner-up in Formula 3, will race alongside Briton Arvid Lindblad in Qatar and Abu Dhabi in late November. Tsolov expressed surprise but readiness for the opportunity, and emphasized his goal to gain experience in preparation for next season. 

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Telegraph reports, citing the National Statistical Institute, that Bulgarian hotels earned nearly twice as much from foreign tourists as from domestic visitors in September. Around 470,000 foreign guests generated BGN 187.2 million, averaging BGN 400 per person, while just over 500,000 Bulgarians contributed BGN 100 million, or BGN 200 per person. The higher revenue from foreigners is attributed to their longer average stays of over four nights and preference for higher-category hotels.

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In BNT’s morning programme, National Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva explained the principles for distributing bonuses within her institution, noting that she personally does not receive any. Delcheva also commented on several issues related to citizens’ rights, hospices, psychiatric hospitals and heating bills. She pointed out that a legislative and practical vacuum exists in psychiatric care, resulting in inadequate service for patients. Delcheva warned of a serious problem with district heating companies, which include the lack of an up-to-date formula for allocating consumer bills.