site.btaMedia Review: December 12

HEADLINES

Friday’s print media focus heavily on the political crisis in the country, following the resignation of the government on Thursday, possible early elections, and decisions linked to the adoption of the euro and the 2026 State Budget. 24 Chasa leads with several political front-page headlines, reporting that President Rumen Radev is navigating a slow constitutional process, while GERB leader Boyko Borissov has sensed the right moment to resign in order to prevent GERB from being politically weakened during Bulgaria’s entry into the eurozone and the Schengen area. The newspaper also notes that if Radev is in a hurry to form a political party, he may submit his resignation to the Constitutional Court without providing motives. Another headline informs readers that vignette sales will be suspended for five hours on New Year’s Eve. Trud reports that the cabinet submitted its resignation “with confidence,” and highlights a social policy measure planned in the 2026 State Budget 2026: support of EUR 26 per month per child. Telegraph writes that the protest movement has accelerated the country toward elections in March. Duma’s top headline reads that Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov has announced his cabinet’s resignation.

The morning programmes of the Bulgarian National Television (BNT), bTV, and Nova TV focused primarily on the resignation of the government and its consequences for Bulgaria at the doorstep of the euro without an adopted state budget. The programmes hosted prominent political figures and analysts to discuss the matter. They also reported on a demonstration by the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) and the Podkrepa Confederation of Labour in front of the National Assembly in relation to the 2026 State Budget.

GOVERNMENT’S RESIGNATION

The Cabinet of Rosen Zhelyazkov announced its resignation Thursday. The resignation was announced by Prime Minister Zhelyazkov at an emergency press conference in Parliament as he stood in the company of senior officials of the three parties in the government coalition: GERB-UDF, There Is Such a People and BSP - United Left. The announcement came as Parliament was about to vote a no-confidence motion against the government submitted by Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB). In the wider picture, the country is swept by massive anti-government protests that were triggered by the cabinet's controversial budget plans but escalated into discontent against the government over corruption, injustice and failure in many government sectors.

The resignation of the government, submitted Thursday by Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and expected to be voted on in Parliament Friday, is the result of accumulated public tension and a “ten-day period of youth-driven Bulgarian discontent,” former interior minister Prof. Veselin Vuchkov told bTV.

The fall of the cabinet just ahead of Bulgaria’s entry into the eurozone is primarily a political issue and will not lead to practical difficulties, Lyubomir Datsov, former deputy finance minister and member of the Fiscal Council, said on BNT’s morning programme. “Above all, this is a political problem. In my view, it is mainly for domestic consumption,” Datsov stressed, noting that political upheavals are common in many European countries. “We are not the worst case. There are countries like Belgium that often go long periods without a government or change governments frequently. Submitting a resignation is something normal,” he said. Datsov acknowledged that the coincidence between the resignation and the final phase of preparations for eurozone entry is “quite unpleasant, again from a political and practical perspective,” but emphasized that the key technical decisions have already been taken. According to him, Bulgaria is at a stage where there are no serious risks to the process.

People have shown they are ready to continue protesting again and again if their demands are not met, sociologist Evelina Slavkova from the Trend agency said on Nova TV’s morning programme. According to her colleague Parvan Simeonov from the Myara agency, the key question now concerns the next moves of President Rumen Radev.

24 Chasa reports that President Rumen Radev is expected to proceed slowly and strictly according to the constitution following the government’s resignation. The newspaper notes that the earliest possible date for new elections is March 1, a more realistic timeframe is mid-March, and the latest would be before Easter. According to first unofficial indications, Radev will not rush either with forming a caretaker cabinet or with any potential political project of his own. Under the constitutional changes adopted in December 2023 by CC–DB, GERB and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, the procedure for appointing a caretaker prime minister is more protracted. Radev must choose from a predefined list which includes Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva, her deputy Maria Filipova, National Assembly Chair Raya Nazaryan, Audit Office President and former caretaker prime minister Dimitar Glavchev, his deputies Margarita Nikolova and Silvia Kadreva, as well as BNB governor Dimitar Radev and deputy governors Petar Chobanov, Radoslav Milenkov and Andrey Gyurov (currently on extended unpaid leave). The article summarizes the political reactions that followed the cabinet’s resignation, noting that the constitutional framework will determine the pace of the upcoming transition.

Nova TV reported that Hristo Paunov, a lecturer in constitutional law at Plovdiv University, explained the constitutional procedure following the resignation of the cabinet. He said that the Constitution does not set a specific deadline for the start or duration of consultations with parliamentary groups. Clear time limits apply only after a mandate to form a government is handed over. At that stage, the nominee for prime minister must propose the structure and composition of a cabinet within seven days. Paunov noted that three such attempts to form a government are provided for under the Constitution.

24 Chasa features an interview with political scientist Rumyana Kolarova, who says that the resignation of the Zhelyazkov cabinet deprived President Rumen Radev of the chance to make a surprise move and placed him in an awkward position. According to Kolarova, the timing and manner of the government’s resignation reshaped the political situation and limited the president’s room for manoeuvre in the subsequent constitutional procedures.

Telegraph publishes an interview with political analyst Tatyana Burudzhieva, who warns that Bulgaria risks once again entering a spiral of repeated elections. She comments on the current political uncertainty, noting that unresolved institutional tensions and the lack of stable governance could push the country toward another cycle of early parliamentary votes.

BNR aired an interview with journalism student and civic activist Dzhem Yumerov, who said that citizens must remain active and vigilant, stressing that “the transition is not over.” He stated that he remains in a state of protest readiness and argued that future civic mobilisation should unite around positive goals rather than purely anti-positions. Yumerov emphasised the importance of free and conscientious voting, warning against fear-based pressure and dependency. He said that fear has been used in Bulgarian politics since the 1990s, but noted that younger generations are more alert, adding that he has received supportive messages from members of the Turkish community. He expressed scepticism about political change in smaller towns, where, according to him, local dependencies remain strong, but stressed that voting choices should be made by conviction. Yumerov said that prepared young leaders exist, though they must gain legitimacy from the protest movement, and voiced doubts about the creation of a separate youth political party. He also commented that a potential entry of President Rumen Radev into politics could alter the political landscape. Yumerov concluded by calling on both protesters and those in power to take responsibility, underlining freedom as a core value.

Telegraph publishes an analysis examining what lies ahead following the government’s resignation, focusing on the possible political scenarios and institutional steps in the coming period.

STATE BUDGET

BNT reported that BSP–United Left MP Gabriel Valkov said his party fully supports the demands of the trade unions and has always worked well with them. He stressed that Bulgaria should not enter the new year or the eurozone without an adopted state budget. Valkov said it is the responsibility of all parties in Parliament to act with reason, adding that BSP–United Left is ready to support a “reasonable budget” that serves people’s incomes, raises the minimum wage and meets trade union demands. “There is no way to enter the eurozone without increasing people’s incomes,” he said.

BNT aired comments by Academician Nikolay Denkov, who said that the people who took to the streets and said “enough is enough” were the ones who brought down the government. According to Denkov, all political instability since 2020 has stemmed from Boyko Borissov and Delyan Peevski. He argued that real stability means listening to the protesters, who are calling for honesty, transparency and Bulgaria’s European development. Denkov said Borissov is unable to govern, pointing to the draft budget as an example. He noted that the budget failed to gain the support of the tripartite council and instead triggered public protests. Denkov stressed that society expects honest and correct governance.

ECONOMY

Capital Weekly leads with an analysis titled “Why pork in Bulgaria tastes mostly imported,” examining the structural challenges facing the country’s pig farming sector. The article notes that Bulgarian farms supply only 35–40% of domestic consumption, which continues to grow. Regulatory burdens and strict requirements are discouraging investment, undermining small and medium-sized farms, and driving production toward larger industrial operations. The analysis adds that external factors – including African swine fever outbreaks in Spain, Chinese tariffs, and new EU regulations – further cloud the outlook for producers. Capital Weekly continues its focus on the challenges facing Bulgaria’s pig farming sector with a companion analysis titled “Where did the Bulgarian pig breeds disappear to, and do they exist at all?” The article notes that only one truly indigenous breed remains — the East Balkan pig — alongside a hybrid developed during the socialist era. While these breeds are not economically viable for large-scale industrial farming, they are well suited for producing high-quality meat in smaller farms. The publication argues that meaningful progress in developing Bulgarian pork production will require clear regulations and a consistent state policy. Capital Weekly further examines the structure of Bulgaria’s pig farming sector, noting that the primary goal of industrial production is to achieve maximum efficiency, profitability and minimal losses along the chain, which is done through hybridization (crossbreeding different pig breeds) which dominates domestic production. In Bulgaria, most pork comes from a small number of large companies operating one or more industrial pig farms, the majority of which are united in the Association of Industrial Pig Farming. According to the association, its 14 member companies produce around 80% of Bulgaria’s pork. The association’s 2024 annual report shows that 13 of these companies concluded breeding activity contracts for a total of 34,384 sows, of which just over 31,000 are hybrids and 2,914 are purebred animals. The data underscores the sector’s strong reliance on hybrid production and the limited presence of traditional or purebred varieties, complementing Capital Weekly’s broader analysis of the structural and regulatory challenges facing Bulgarian pork producers.

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Trud reports that under the draft 2026 Budget, the full amount of monthly child allowances set at EUR 26 per child will be paid only to families with a monthly income per household member below EUR 415 (BGN 811.67). This represents a slight increase compared with 2025, when full benefits were granted to families with per-capita monthly income below BGN 760. The calculation is based on gross income. For a two-parent household with one child, eligibility for the full allowance will apply if the parents’ average combined gross monthly income over the past 12 months is below BGN 2,435, meaning each parent earns less than BGN 1,217 gross per month. The current minimum wage is BGN 1,077, while from next year it is set to rise to EUR 620.20 (BGN 1,213). Families with two or three children may qualify for benefits even at higher incomes, as earnings are divided among more household members. The Family Allowances Act also allows parents with slightly higher incomes to receive 80% of the child allowance instead of the full amount.

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Duma reports that during the transition from the lev to the euro, financial operations via online and mobile banking will be unavailable in Bulgaria for several days. Banks have already started notifying customers of the periods during which their electronic payment channels will not function, with disruptions expected to last between two and four days. Customers are advised to plan ahead and complete important transfers and payments before the specified deadlines. According to financial institutions, the extended suspension is due to the time required to convert core banking accounting systems and all client account balances, including current, deposit, savings and loan accounts. The process also affects payment systems for domestic and international transfers, as well as online and mobile banking platforms, and requires prolonged technological downtime. The report notes that this will add to payment difficulties around the New Year holidays, alongside the previously announced temporary shutdown of POS terminal payments and online purchases, scheduled from 9:00 pm on December 31, 2025, until 1:00 am on January 1, 2026.

WEATHER

Trud features an interview with meteorologist Anastasia Stoycheva, who says that colder weather and snowfall are expected in the final week before New Year’s Eve. She comments on the upcoming winter conditions, noting that a drop in temperatures and snow is forecast as the year draws to a close.

bTV reported that climatologist Prof. Georgi Rachev said there is no snow expected in the foreseeable future, meaning that children will likely experience a “brown Christmas.” He commented that weather conditions do not indicate the formation of a stable snow cover in the coming days.