site.btaMedia Review: March 18

OVERVIEW

The upcoming early parliamentary elections are the topic present in all media outlets.

POLITICS

According to a poll commissioned by bTV, conducted by Market Links and published by Trud, the Bulgarian Nartional Radio (BNR), and Dnevnik.bg, five political formations will gain the necessary 4% of the vote to enter Parliament after the snap parliamentary elections scheduled for April 19. Those are the Progressive Bulgaria coalition with 21.1%, GERB-UDF with 18.6%, Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) with 12%, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms with 7.2%, and Vazrazhdane with 4.9%. Of the political parties and coalitions that are currently represented in Parliament, BSP - United Left, MECh, Velichie, and There Is Such a People are predicted to receive 3% of the vote or less. The poll was conducted between March 7 and 15 among 1,006 respondents.

Among political figures, President Iliana Iotova and Rumen Radev, the former president and leader of Progressive Bulgaria, enjoy the highest level of support with 49% each. They are followed by caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov with 40%.

The daily and BNR quote Market Links's Managing Director Dobromir Zhivkov who said: "Most of the politicians currently serving in the National Assembly face serious credibility issues. This disappointment is also reflected in the public's trust in Parliament. We are in a serious political crisis, which is also reflected in a serious crisis of trust—not only in politicians, but also in institutions and the judiciary."

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Yes, Bulgaria Chair and CC-DB Co-Floor Leader Bozhidar Bozhanov said for the Bulgarian National Television (BNT) that the coalition faced no serious difficulties when arranging its candidate lists for the upcoming April 19 early parliamentary elections. Bozhanov said that registering lists at the last possible moment has become common practice in Bulgarian politics and added the process had not involved the kind of drama some observers suggested.

Commenting on speculation about tensions within the coalition, he stressed that the position on a candidate list is less important than the work a politician does and the support they receive from voters. Bozhanov said that he relies on preferential votes and voiced gratitude to voters who have backed him in previous elections. Bozhanov also defended the inclusion of Yavor Bozhankov on the lists (Bozhankov was not included in CC-DB's lists), describing him as a useful member of parliament with strong oratory skills and public support. According to Bozhanov, the disagreement surrounding the decision was political rather than personal.

Addressing concerns that DB may be making too many compromises within the coalition, Bozhanov said the alliance aims to broaden support and unite around shared values ahead of the elections. He highlighted the coalition's core goals, including strengthening the rule of law, fighting corruption and keeping Bulgaria firmly anchored in Europe.

Bozhanov also voiced confidence that the CC-DB coalition will nominate a joint presidential candidate.

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An article in Mediapool.bg entitled "Borissov extends a hand to Radev: We aren't in politics to hate each other" reports that GERB leader Boyko Borissov publicly announced the possibility of a coalition with former president Rumen Radev after the elections. Borissov stated that he and Radev are opponents, not enemies.

The article reads: "Over the past few months, Borissov has been openly seeking to ease tensions with the former president, who appears to be his [Borissov's] only option for remaining in power and breaking free from his ties to [MRF - New Beginning leader] Delyan Peevski."

Borissov expressed confidence that "If we pull together, we will achieve a good result and ensure stable governance thereafter." The text continues:

"Against this backdrop, Radev also prefers to speak in general terms about the upcoming battle against the oligarchy, while his voters' expectations centre on changing the 'Borisov–Peevski' model.

"At the same time, opinion polls show that GERB and Progressive Bulgaria could easily form a stable government. The other major option for Radev is to negotiate a coalition with CC-DB, however, everything depends on the outcome of the pro-European coalition and the former president's geopolitical messages."

Mediapool reports that Stara Zagora Mayor Zhivko Todorov and Burgas Mayor Dimitar Nikolov, both nominated by GERB, have both refused to head the lists of candidates proposed by their party, which suggests that the two are beginning to align themselves with Radev’s project, the Progressive Bulgaria coalition.

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Commenting on the upcoming election campaign for the April 19 early parliamentary vote in an interview with BNR, political scientist Petar Cholakov said he expects a campaign marked by scandals, disputes and ugly scenes. "The intrigue is significant. A large political animal has stepped onto the stage, causing turmoil in the jungle – this is Rumen Radev and his Progressive Bulgaria. Usually when people, or animals, are afraid, they become very aggressive. I assume this will be reflected in the campaign," Cholakov said.

According to him, the more GERB Chair Boyko Borissov and MRF - New Beginning leader Delyan Peevski attack Radev, the more they risk giving him a hero status and consolidating their opponents around him. Cholakov suggested that their current approach could also be intended to fuel speculation that in a future parliament they might cooperate with Radev – something that could, in turn, harm Radev by creating the impression that he might reach an understanding with Borissov and Peevski.

"Borissov believes he can only play the role of the figure who calls the shots. Preparing to have a lesser status would be absurd for him," Cholakov said. He added that Borissov's praise for Radev's candidate lists may be linked to reports that some mayors associated with GERB are beginning to reconsider their positions and potentially shift toward Radev. According to Cholakov, such rhetoric may aim to prevent panic within GERB's ranks.

He said, however, that the "royal crown" of political leadership can be heavy, and while Radev may manage to wear it successfully, the outcome could also turn out differently. "We have seen this happen before," he added.

Cholakov also pointed to internal tensions within the CC-DB coalition, particularly regarding how strong its partnership with DB remains. In his view, the coalition's messages to voters are not particularly strong or convincing. "The old truth still holds – if they [CC] part ways with DB, the wolf will devour them much more easily," he said.

According to the political scientist, candidate lists for the April 19 elections are not significantly different from those seen in previous elections. Due to declining public interest in political parties and the political system, many political formations include well-known personalities – athletes, pop singers or rappers – on their candidate lists to attract voters, he said.

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bTV reports that the police is conducting operations in Varna, on the Black Sea, and in Haskovo, Southern Bulgaria, to tackle vote-buying. At least one person was arrested in Varna on suspicions of engaging in loan sharking and owning illegal weapons. Another 13 people have been detained in Haskovo, of whom three on suspicions of vote-buying.

BNT specifies that 35 people have been detained in Varna, of whom, only one on suspicions of vote-buying.

ECONOMY

Telegraph quotes an article by Nova TV that warns that 30% of Bulgarian children are at risk of poverty. The text is based on data from the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria, according to which, a minimum of BGN 2,812 a month is needed to support a family of three where the child is no older than 14, while at least BGN 10,000 is needed to raise a child for a year. The sum may vary depending on the child's age and needs. The data applies to December 2025. The sum of BGN 2,812 is 6% or BGN 161 higher to the data from December 2024. To a large extent, the unions attribute this to the rise in food prices in Bulgaria, which they describe as one of the highest in the European Union.

Based on these figures, a minimum of BGN 900 was required for child support at the end of last year. In this case, the maternity leave benefit for the second year, which amounted to BGN 780 in 2025, proves to be insufficient. The government has accepted this as the minimum amount for child support. Whether the maternity leave benefit will be raised will become clear once the 2026 State Budget is voted into law.

AGRICULTURE

Dnevnik.bg quotes BNR, who reported that decisions by caretaker Minister of Agriculture and Food Ivan Hristanov to replace the leadership in three key regional agricultural directorates (in Burgas, Yambol, and Silistra) sparked a sharp reaction from grain producers. The article quotes Iliya Prodanov, Chair of the National Grain Producers Association, who said: "In the midst of the most critical period for the sector, the land demarcation campaign, sudden and unjustified purges of experts with over 20 years of experience in the regional agriculture directorates are being prepared." According to him, Hristanov’s personnel decisions pose a direct risk to the security of EU payments and the livelihoods of thousands of farmers. Grain producers declared their readiness to take to the streets as early as Wednesday.

HEALTH

An article in Trud entitled "Cosmetologists and dentists are running a dangerous beauty business" cites plastic surgeons who warn that "In Bulgaria, injectable filler procedures can be performed anywhere by anyone."

The article reads: "Invasive cosmetic procedures are performed by both self-proclaimed practitioners and doctors without the necessary qualifications. Dentists, cosmetologists, anaesthesiologists, and surgeons are running beauty businesses without regulation or oversight, according to renowned plastic surgeons. The reason [for this statement] is the fatal case in which a young woman died after having hyaluronic acid injected into her breasts by surgeon Dr Boris Dashkov in Dupnitsa [Southwestern Bulgaria].

Trud quotes plastic surgeon Nikolay Georgiev who said in an interview for BNT that Bulgaria has no institutions that monitor or control the process. The responsibility has been left with the healthcare providers and aesthetic medicine clinics.

Georgiev reported that the patient's death was likely caused by lack of control exerted over the medical procedure or by the substance that was injected, as it could have been imported from Turkiye, Iran, Iraq, Burundi, or South Korea.

The Bulgarian Association of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery (BULAPRAS) came out with a position that injectable products should not be administered into the breasts, with the exception of the patient's own fat tissue. BULAPRAS reported that there are people working in Bulgaria who have completed two 15-minute training courses to become cosmetologists, while there is no government oversight of their work.