site.btaMedia Review: February 12

POLITICS – FUTURE CARETAKER CABINET

President Iliana Iotova’s decision to appoint central bank Deputy Governor Andrey Gurov as caretaker prime minister and task him with forming a government until the upcoming snap parliamentary elections is covered extensively by the media.

Capital: Deputy Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) Andrey Gurov will serve as Bulgaria’s caretaker prime minister. Two months after Rosen Zhelyazkov resigned [as prime minister], and after President Rumen Radev stepped down in the meantime to enter active politics, his successor [former Vice President] Iliana Iotova has now made her choice. The presidential press office announced that Gurov will receive a mandate to form a government on February 12. There is no fixed deadline for him to present the composition of a caretaker cabinet, but this is expected to happen within a week, so that Iotova’s decree can be issued on February 19 and early parliamentary elections can be held on April 19.

The decision was to some extent anticipated. Of the ten individuals eligible under the Constitution to serve as caretaker prime minister, only five agreed to take on the role. Gurov, a former MP from Continue the Change (CC), is the only one among them not associated with the outgoing ruling coalition. The other possible candidates from whom Iotova could choose – Bulgarian National Audit Office President Dimitar Glavchev, his deputies Silvia Kadreva and Margarita Nikolova, and Deputy Ombudsman Maria Filipova – are seen as appointees of the political status quo dominated by GERB and MRF – New Beginning. Glavchev is a former GERB MP and party official and has already served twice as caretaker prime minister. The others were appointed to their current posts by the still-ruling majority of GERB, the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), There Is Such a People (TISP), and MRF – New Beginning.

Who backed Gurov

During consultations with parliamentary parties held by Iotova over the past two weeks, opposition formations expressed support for Gurov’s nomination. These included Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB), the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (ARF), Vazrazhdane, MECh, and Velichie. The largest parliamentary group, GERB, stated it had no preference as to who would be selected. TISP and MRF – New Beginning, led by Delyan Peevski, called for a non-partisan caretaker prime minister, implicitly pointing to one of Glavchev’s deputies at the Audit Office or Deputy Ombudsman Filipova.

Following his nomination, Gurov will have about a week to propose the composition of a caretaker cabinet to the President. Iotova must then issue a decree appointing the government and set the date for the early elections, expected to take place on April 19.

Limiting the influence of Borissov and Peevski

Gurov’s appointment means that, at least until the parliamentary elections, the leverage of the outgoing ruling forces - primarily GERB and MRF – New Beginning, within the executive branch is likely to be reduced. This will be reflected mainly in the appointment of caretaker ministers, their deputies, and regional governors, who are unlikely to be linked to circles gravitating around GERB leader Boyko Borissov and Delyan Peevski. Under the previous two caretaker cabinets led by Glavchev, the leaders of GERB and MRF – New Beginning effectively maintained their influence in the executive. A number of decisions and appointments of regional governors were seen as directly benefiting Peevski, particularly in his rivalry with the faction linked to Ahmed Dogan [ARF] for the votes of ethnic Turks.

From this perspective, two key posts in the upcoming caretaker cabinet will be those of interior minister and minister of e-government. The interior minister will be expected to curb vote-buying ahead of the elections, particularly by preventing the activities of vote-buyer intermediaries in Roma neighborhoods. The e-government ministry oversees machine voting.

Ivan Demerdzhiev, who served as interior minister in the two caretaker governments of Galab Donev and is expected to join the political project of former president Radev, recently expressed readiness to take the post again. A similar indication came from current CC-DB MP Boyko Rashkov, who held the interior minister position in the two caretaker governments led by Stefan Yanev and in the regular government of Prime Minister Kiril Petkov. CC leader Assen Vassilev also backed the possibility of Rashkov’s appointment as caretaker interior minister. Shortly after the presidential administration announced Gurov’s nomination, Vassilev described the decision as “a good step toward holding fair elections.” “While Mr. Rashkov was interior minister, there were the fewest bought and controlled votes,” Vassilev said.

Beyond the caretaker government’s primary task of organizing fair elections, Gurov and his cabinet will face two additional challenges. One concerns extending last year’s budget after the regular government of Rosen Zhelyazkov withdrew this year’s draft budget and the parliamentary majority refused to adopt a revised version, which formally led to its fall from power. As a result, the caretaker finance minister will be another key figure in the cabinet.

The other challenge relates to reforms under the Recovery and Resilience Plan and the absorption of the remaining payments. It is not ruled out that the outgoing regular government may have left unresolved issues that the caretaker cabinet will have to address. It can already be anticipated that Gurov will have to balance between accusations from former ruling parties that he is a partisan appointment and the need to maintain distance from his former party. Immediately after his nomination was announced, GERB stated that “the caretaker cabinet will belong to CC-DB and Iotova.” TISP, for its part, warned of “unfair elections controlled by one political party,” in the words of Toshko Yordanov. Any perceived link between Gurov and his former party will also pose a challenge for CC-DB, given the risk that potential negative fallout from the caretaker cabinet’s decisions could affect the coalition during the election campaign.

More moderate reactions came from the third party in the outgoing ruling coalition, BSP, where a leadership change took place late last week with the election of Krum Zarkov as the party’s new leader. The new Floor Leader of BSP’s Parliamentary Group, Nataliya Kiselova, who replaced Dragomir Stoynev, said she expected a “competent and independent caretaker government that will hold fair elections.”

Who is Andrey Gurov

Gurov’s nomination as caretaker prime minister was accompanied by a legal case, as he has been on unpaid leave for two years and has not been performing his duties at the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB). The reason is that the Anti-Corruption Commission announced it had established an incompatibility related to his alleged failure to resign from management bodies of commercial companies and non-governmental organizations, a finding he appealed. The case reached the Court of Justice of the European Union for a requested interpretation, after which Bulgaria’s Supreme Administrative Court is expected to issue a ruling. The entire procedure – involving the Ant-Corruption Commission and the Supreme Administrative Court – appeared to have been designed to remove Gurov from the list of potential caretaker prime ministers.

“Proceedings are currently under way before the Court of Justice of the EU. At the hearing, I received very strong support from the positions of the European Central Bank and the European Commission. In this sense, I have no moral reservations about accepting such a position,” Gurov said after Iotova’s consultations with the individuals listed in the Constitution from whom she may choose a caretaker prime minister.

Under the Bulgarian National Bank Act, once he assumes the post of caretaker prime minister, Gurov must resign from the central bank.

After the resignation of the rotation government led by Nikolay Denkov (GERB, CC-DB), there were discussions within Continue the Change about Gurov potentially becoming caretaker prime minister. At the time, however, he declined and Dimitar Glavchev was appointed instead. Unofficially, members of the coalition claimed this had caused tensions between Gurov and the party’s then co-chairs Kiril Petkov and Assen Vassilev. Three months later, the Anti-Corruption Commission announced that he was in a conflict of interest.

Before his appointment to the BNB in July 2023, Gurov served as floor leader of the parliamentary group of Continue the Change. Since 2010, he has been a chief assistant professor at the American University in Bulgaria, where he teaches finance. He has also worked as a consultant, including for financial institutions and banks, primarily in developing risk management models. He has banking experience abroad, though in more junior positions.

In a previous procedure to fill positions in the central bank’s leadership, Gurov was also a candidate for governor, competing with Lyubomir Karimanski (TISP), but no appointment was made. President Radev subsequently appointed Karimanski as a member of the BNB Governing Council under the presidential quota.

***

Mediapool contributes by recalling that Iotova told Gurov he is expected to present the composition of the caretaker cabinet within a week’s time, adding that “we all want fair, transparent, well-prepared and properly conducted elections” for the National Assembly.

She added that she expected the elections to be held in accordance with the Constitution and the laws of the country in order to guarantee a strong state governed by the rule of law.

Gurov pledged to “do everything possible and to assemble a team of people with experience, expertise and integrity. These will be professionals in their respective fields, who will not impose themselves through aggression and will not act high-handedly,” he said.

***

Trud quotes Gurov as telling Iotova that “We are in a situation where no one trusts anyone. That is why I value your trust in me. I will approach it with reason and responsibility. I understand what my task is – to ensure fair elections. And for people to see that there is a point in voting. For there to be trust in government, citizens must believe in the individuals who represent it. I will do everything possible to assemble the right team. People who will present themselves not through their political views, but through their experience and expertise. I hope these people will inspire calm, not aggression. We do not expect patience or a vote of confidence, only the opportunity to prove ourselves through our work. Thank you, and I am getting to work immediately,” Gurov said.

24 Chasa also covers the news quoting Iotova’s and Gurov’s statements.

***

Bulgarian National Radio (BNR): The decree from President Iliana Iotova, returning the amendments to the Election Code for reconsideration, has been submitted to the parliamentary administration, the Chair of the National Assembly, Raya Nazaryan, announced.

The Parliamentary Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee is expected to review the decree before it is brought for discussion in the plenary session.

The amendments passed by Parliament would limit voting outside the EU to 20 voting sections, excluding Bulgaria’s diplomatic and consular missions. Iotova vetoed the amendments on Wednesday.

ECONOMY

24 Chasa: Kozloduy has become the top-paying municipality in Bulgaria in 2024, with an average monthly salary of EUR 1,97, surpassing Chelopech and Sofia City. The high wages in Kozloduy are largely due to the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant, which employs 70% of the municipality’s workforce in the public sector. Other municipalities with strong wage levels are mostly linked to energy and mining industries, including Radnevo, Galabovo, Pirdop, Panagyurishte, and Breznik. Since the post-pandemic period, salaries in leading local economies such as Sofia, Varna, and Plovdiv have risen sharply, with a 70% increase recorded since 2020. In 2024 alone, wages increased in 260 out of 265 municipalities, with 229 exceeding 10% growth. Public sector salaries generally remain higher than those in the private sector, except in municipalities with significant private employers, such as Sofia, Breznik, and Chelopech. In smaller or economically underdeveloped municipalities, private sector wages are often only half of public sector levels. The minimum wage as a share of the average is lowest in Sofia at 28.9%, while in some northwestern municipalities it exceeds 70%. Overall, municipalities hosting major energy or mining enterprises dominate the country’s wage rankings, highlighting the economic disparities across Bulgaria.

PETROHAN VIOLENT DEATHS CASE

The reactions and discussions concerning the case where six dead bodies were discovered with gunshot wounds over the course of last week (the first three next to a mountain lodge near Petrohan Pass, and then another three inside a camper in a remote mountain area near Okolchitsa Peak in Stara Planina) continues to be covered by the media. 

Bulgarian National TV (BNT): Former Minister of Environment and Water Borislav Sandov stated on BNT that he has not been charged in connection with the agreement signed with the NGO connected with the Petrohan case. His comments follow announcements from the acting head of the State Agency for National Security (SANS) that a criminal investigation is ongoing against officials and a senior public official linked to the NGO associated with Ivaylo Kalushev [whose body was also found]. Sandov emphasized that he visited the former Petrohan lodge three times between 2022 and 2024, primarily to verify the organization’s work and equipment, and that he had no personal or friendly relationship with its members.

Sandov rejected claims that the agreement was illegal, stating that it merely established cooperation between the Ministry of Environment and Waters (MOEW) and the NGO, named National Protected Areas Control Agency, to support environmental protection activities and raise public awareness. He stressed that the agreement did not grant any powers or responsibilities beyond existing state functions. Inspections of the NGO found no violations.

He also refuted accusations that NGO representatives entered the Ministry armed, calling such claims impossible and untrue. Sandov reiterated that the NGO received no funding from the state budget and that his involvement was limited to cooperation on environmental initiatives. Sandov expressed frustration at what he described as the politicization of the case, noting attacks against him from public figures and politicians in times of an election campaign.

***

bTV: In witness statements related to the Petrohan case, allegations have been made that an adult male engaged in sexual contact with minors, both underage and prepubescent boys, the prosecution service reported.

The testimony also confirms that minors were allegedly present for extended periods at a property in Mexico as well as in various locations in Bulgaria.

Investigators have found that within the closed community, mandatory meditation practices were carried out, which included visualizations, mantras, and other similar exercises.

bTV and NOVA TV cover the recently released details by the prosecution office, which describe how the victims were found and what type of gunshot wounds they had sustained.

***

bTV quotes Dimo Gyaurov, former head of Bulgaria’s National Intelligence Service [today's State Intelligence Agency], as describing the Petrohan case as highly politicized, warning that the way it has been handled in Parliament creates public confusion and distrust.

He criticized institutional incompetence and the deliberate political framing, which he said obscures facts and motives rather than clarifying them. Gyaurov noted that there have been confirmed deaths in the case, likely involving extended suicide or murder-suicide, but said the motives are still unknown and stressed the need for authorities to release all relevant information, including if any of the six persons found dead had anything to do with the Bulgarian security services.

***

NOVA TV: Professor Gaidarov, a criminal psychologist, criticized the public discussion and media coverage of the Petrohan case, calling it speculative and unhelpful. He emphasized that ten days after the tragedy, society is confronted with multiple conflicting versions, such as sect involvement, paramilitary activity, pedophilia, or extended suicide, without a clear institutional consensus, which does not help the public find the truth. Commenting on the video recordings from the Petrohan lodge, he noted that they show only fragments, making it impossible to build an accurate profile of the people involved. Observing the footage, he said the individuals appear calm, and even the dog seems friendly, indicating no apparent malicious intent, but stressed that partial footage cannot reliably represent the full picture. Gaidarov also criticized institutions for failing to extract lessons from such serious criminal cases to improve future responses.