site.btaUPDATED CC-DB Deputy Floor Leader Says Private Media Must Not Fire Journalists at Will, Cites Role of Media in Democracy

In a post published in his Facebook account on Friday night, Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) Deputy Floor Leader Bozhidar Bozhanov commented on the reported firing of journalists Maria Tsantsarova and Zlatimir Yochev from bTV. The MP expressed disagreement with the statement that private media have the right to fire as they please.

Bozhanov's post reads: "Today [on Friday], it transpired that bTV is taking Maria Tsantsarova off the air. There were protests and strong discontent against this decision, as there are reasonable assumptions that this is done at the request of [MRF-New Beginning leader Delyan] Peevski, who cannot stand independent journalists.

"1. The media have a special status and are subject to special rules because of the important role they play in society. That is why there are constitutional guarantees for their freedom, and that is why there is the EU's so-called Media Freedom Act.

"2. The media are part of corporate groups that have dealings with the State. And when the authorities use financial resources and flows to determine the personnel and editorial policy of a media outlet, this is a problem that must be protested."

Bozhanov said that bTV is owned by the Czech PPF Group, which also owns the third largest mobile network in the country, Yettel Bulgaria, and Skoda Group. Yettel receives funding under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP). The three mobile networks are paid some BGN 400 million to provide high-speed internet to sparsely populated regions. Skoda provides railcars for the Bulgarian State Railways again under the RRP, and procedures are pending for the purchase of long-distance locomotives, where Skoda is also a potential player. "And when Peevski controls who assigns what, on one side there is money, on the other side there are certain demands." Bozhanov said.

Bozhanov asked whether the PPF Group is negotiating to buy the refinery in Burgas from Lukoil. "If yes (as reports of this are circulating), then Peevski holds the final stamp of approval for the deal – something that GERB voted for – SANS (State Agency for National Security) to approve each specific deal with Lukoil," the MP wrote.

The Deputy Floor Leader of CC-DB concluded that when there are so many financial resources that depend on the State, one should wonder whether receiving these funds does not influence editorial and personnel policy in a media.

In late September 2025, an international fact-finding mission by press-freedom organizations visited Sofia and concluded that Bulgaria remains among the EU countries with the most serious media-freedom deficits. Speaking at a news conference at the BTA National Press Club, Association of European Journalists - Bulgaria's Irina Nedeva said journalists were increasingly being denied interviews and answers to critical questions, and were facing delays and hostility when seeking information. BTA has also reported that Bulgaria fell from 59th to 70th place in the Reporters Without Borders media-freedom index, with the RSF assessment pointing to persistent intimidation of journalists, risks to editorial independence in both public and private media, and pressure through SLAPP cases.