site.btaMedia Review: January 5

On the first working day of 2026, media coverage in Bulgaria focused primarily on the introduction of the euro in the country and the passing of the legendary football coach Dimitar Penev.

EURO, PRICES

Mediapool.bg cited Nova TV as reporting alerts about price hikes following the introduction of the euro in Bulgaria, with some online retailers significantly increasing the prices of their products.

Several examples were cited, including a baguette that sold for EUR 0.46 before January 1 and has soared 33% to EUR 0.61 since the beginning of the year.

According to Bogomil Nikolov of the Active Consumers association, until a few months ago such changes would have been considered a free market practice, but given that the Introduction of the Euro Act contains strict provisions on pricing, such cases could be interpreted as unjustified price increases. He stressed that consumers currently act as the most important inspectors and that such alerts should be relayed immediately to the Commission for Consumer Protection (CCP).

The CCP is empowered to impose financial sanctions, although their effectiveness at this stage remains dubious. As a rule, most fines in Bulgaria are appealed, which means that months may pass before it becomes clear whether the CCP can effectively suppress such practices.

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Interviewed on Bulgarian National Radio MEP Andrey Novakov of GERB and the European People’s Party (EPP) said that with Bulgaria's entry into the euro area, all restrictions facing this country have fallen away. He outlined the benefits for Bulgaria following its adoption of the single European currency.

"First of all, there are reputational benefits because any country admitted to this club of the wealthiest in the world receives recognition for the way it manages its public finances and for the level of development it has achieved. Experience shows that countries that take this path also see greater security, growth and prospects. I am pleased with what is happening because, without any exaggeration, this is a historic moment, something we will tell our grandchildren about, when it happened," the Novakov said.

He also emphasized that prices had already started to rise even before the country's entry into the euro area.

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The Bulgarian National Television covered the launch of the euro in small settlements, concluding that the new official currency is entering Bulgarian villages cautiously. Residents and retailers in smaller communities continue to rely mainly on the lev, while actual payments in euro are expected to begin with the payment of pensions on January 7.

In local shops, people still predominantly pay in Bulgarian levs, and concerns persist, especially among the elderly. The lev still predominates in people's wallets, while the euro is more a topic of conversation than a real means of payment.

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Economist and former Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Nikolay Vassilev said in an interview with bTV that Bulgaria's accession to the eurozone is "a long-cherished dream and a mission accomplished" that people like him have awaited for 20 years.

"Bulgaria is finally, by all benchmarks, a member of the club of first-class European states. Schengen, combined with the eurozone, is a very powerful tool that will make Bulgaria richer, more respected, and more successful in the coming decades. This also applies to those who are still sceptical about the matter, as well as to their children and grandchildren, who one day will not remember anything else and will not know that Bulgaria was ever different from the rest of Europe," he said.

Vassilev dismisses any potential price increases as "a perpetual myth". He expects "double-digit wage growth with low inflation" in 2026.

He opposes tax increases and believes that the recent anti-government protests targeted reckless spending of public funds, deficits, and debts that would be repaid by future generations.

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"People are still finding their way in transitioning from the lev, and this is perfectly normal. This is also why January has been designated as a transitional month," Zornitsa Rusinova, Chair of the Economic and Social Council and former Minister of Labour and Social Policy, told bTV.

"I expect that people will adjust with every passing week until the end of the month and the issues we are seeing in some small retail outlets with insufficient euro cash at hand will be addressed. Pensioners are also set to receive their first pensions in euro," Rusinova noted. She added that oversight by vigilant citizens is the most reliable way for institutions to function effectively.

"When there are unscrupulous retailers or obvious irregularities, it is important to submit alerts. If the alerts concern price changes that may be speculative, they should be addressed to the National Revenue Agency. If the problem is dual price displays, alerts are to be submitted to the Commission for Consumer Protection. And if there are issues with the banking system, the Bulgarian National Bank should be notified," the interviewee recalled.

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In an interview on National Radio, Association of Pharmacy Owners Chair Nikolay Kostov said that prices has increased but stressed that the process is regulated and will continue at the beginning of the year.

"Our suppliers are constantly raising their prices. They themselves face higher prices from abroad," Kostov said. At the same time, he denied allegations that a number of medicines in Bulgaria are more expensive than abroad.

"According to official statistics, prices in Bulgaria are  60% of the European average. Prices are brand-specific. The number of tablets and the milligrams count, too," Kostov noted.

He added that currency conversion is a matter of software and is carried out automatically at pharmacies.

According to Kostov, all retailers are currently subjected to a "witch hunt".

DIMITAR PENEV: IN MEMORIAM

Nova TV covered the last respects paid to the late Bulgarian football coach Dimitar Penev at the National Stadium. The first to attend the event were the players of the star-studded Bulgarian national team that, under Penev's guidance, made history as they placed fourth at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA. The footballers bid farewell to their coach and friend with tears and enthusiastic applause. Penev will remain forever among the most legendary figures in the history of Bulgarian football.

In connection with Penev's passing, Trud.bg reports that hundreds of fans have called for Sector G of the fully reconstructed stadium of CSKA Sofia to be named "Dimitar Penev". The publication notes that similar practices exist in England, where some of the most iconic venues are named after individuals who are still alive, such as Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford and Sir Kenny Dalglish at Anfield.

Penev is viewed as one of the greatest and most beloved legends in CSKA’s history. He won the Bulgarian club championship seven times as a player and three times as a coach. Overall, he won the Bulgarian Cup nine times and the Super Cup twice. He also won a league title with Lokomotiv Sofia in 1964.

Throughout the night, CSKA supporters gathered at the Bulgarian Army Stadium to light candles or leave personal items in front of two photographs of Penev, depicting him as a player and as a coach. 

SOCIETY

In an interview with National Radio, Silvia Georgieva, Executive Director of the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria, said that municipal systems will function normally in the first days of the new budget year despite the absence of an adopted State budget. She stressed that municipalities are a guarantor of stability for Bulgarian citizens at this historic moment of the introduction of the euro in this country. Practice has already been built on how work is carried out under the Budget Extension Act, she noted, adding that municipal revenues will continue to be collected in the usual manner.

Georgieva also commented on preparations for the introduction of the new methodology for calculating the domestic waste disposal fee.

"Applying the 'polluter pays' principle is a lengthy process that cannot be implemented everywhere simultaneously. A long preparatory period is needed. In many municipalities, systems are being readjusted. New receptacles are being purchased and weighing devices are being installed on garbage trucks," she said.

According to Georgieva, in 2026 the two methods of calculating the municipal solid waste disposal fee will operate in parallel. Some smaller municipalities will apply the new methodology, which will be tested and phased in in an economically sparing way for citizens, without imposing a steep increase in the fee.

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The number of drivers exceeding the speed limit on road sections where average speed monitoring has been introduced has plummeted, Bulgaria's National Toll Administration Director Oleg Asenov said in an interview published by Mediapool.bg.

He noted, however, that it is still too early to speak of a lasting change in driving behaviour. "At this stage, what we are seeing is only the deterrent effect of the measure," he stressed.

According to Asenov, the data so far indicate that the introduction of average speed control has had an immediate impact on reducing speeding in the monitored sections, but longer-term observations will be needed to assess whether the measure leads to sustained behavioral change among drivers.

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In an interview on National Television, Alexander Stamboliyski of the Union of Transport Workers in Bulgaria said that the transport sector is losing around EUR 10 million per week due to road blockades by Greek farmers. Protests and roadblocks on major roads and border crossings in Greece have been continuing for more than a month, he noted.

Because of the ongoing problem at the beginning of 2026, a large number of Bulgarian truck lines have already shifted their journeys to nighttime hours. Despite numerous complaints sent to Greek and EU institutions, a lasting solution to the blockades has not yet been found, and the problem has spilled into early 2026 as well.

Stamboliyski said that following a meeting held on Tuesday in Malgara near Thessaloniki, it appears that no consensus has been reached between the Greek Government and the protesters.

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Prof. Todor Kantardzhiev commented in an interview with bTV on the current flu situation in Bulgaria. An increase in cases has already been recorded but the epidemic has yet to peak in Bulgaria. Regarding the new subvariant, the epidemiologist noted: "It spreads more easily, but the most important point is that it does not cause a more severe condition than other subvariants. It is not harder to cope with and does not lead to more serious complications."

He emphasized that "more people will be infected because it is more contagious and because collective immunity is such that it allows for widespread infection. It is especially dangerous for children, particularly for the 5–14 age group." Concerning the expected peak of the flu, the professor clarified: "I expect it in late January or in early February. So far, we have not seen a significant increase in cases. If the mid-term school break is extended by a few days, it would help reduce the spread of the virus."

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Mediapool.bg reported gale-force winds and damage in Borovets (Southwestern Bulgaria). Gale-force winds caused significant damage at the winter resort, toppling trees, including near ski slopes, and damaging several cars, but no injuries were reported. Samokov Mayor Angel Dzhorgov activated the BG Alert system to warn residents, and the entire ski area was closed as a safety precaution. After the winds subside, emergency teams will begin clearing the affected areas, while authorities have urged people to stay away from closed zones and follow official instructions.