site.btaMedia Review: May 13

BOYKO BORISSOV AND DELYAN PEEVSKI’S PROTECTION REMOVED

All Wednesday media report the news that the National Service for Protection (NSP) is removing the protection provided to the leaders of GERB and MRF, Boyko Borissov and Delyan Peevski, effective May 14.

***

According to the Dnevnik.bg online news outlet, the information first became known from a post on the MRF Facebook page, in which Peevski announced that his security detail had been withdrawn. Shortly afterwards, GERB MP Tomislav Donchev told journalists in the National Assembly that Boyko Borissov’s security protection had also been lifted.

Peevski said that NSP Head Gen. Emil Tonev had informed him that, following a meeting of the Special Commission under Article 23 of the NSP Act, a decision had been taken to withdraw his security provided by the NSP.

The question of on what grounds NSP protects Peevski and Borissov has been a matter of public debate for years. On the first day of the 52nd National Assembly, the parliamentary groups of Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria submitted legislative proposals calling for the removal of security protection for Members of Parliament unless there is a specific threat against them, but the decision was not adopted as it lacked quorum.

POLITICS

In a lead interview with 24 Chasa, Progressive Bulgaria MP Anton Kutev argues his party would prioritize judicial reform, anti-profiteering measures and preparation of the 2027 state budget, arguing that Bulgaria needs “a completely different future”. Kutev defends plans to monitor retail markups and extend daily price reporting by large stores, saying the measures follow models already used across Europe and are aimed at curbing speculation rather than directly controlling prices.

He argues that inflation driven by global energy markets could not be stopped by the government alone, but said compensatory mechanisms for vulnerable groups were being discussed. Kutev also confirms efforts to elect a new Supreme Judicial Council by the end of July and warns that parties blocking judicial reform risk losing public support.

Addressing criticism over some appointments, Kutev said mistakes were possible but insisted Prime Minister Rumen Radev (Progressive Bulgaria leader) would not tolerate conflicts of interest or political dependence within the administration.

FINANCE & ECONOMY

The Trud tabloid daily publishes a statement by the Fiscal Council arguing that the adoption of a realistic and disciplined state budget for 2026 is crucial to maintaining market confidence. According to the document, the country’s fiscal position remains stable. However, political instability, delays in establishing the 2026 budget framework, and ongoing geopolitical crises are creating significant risks for the medium-term fiscal outlook. Adhering to the parameters of the fiscal path, which should be viewed as the maximum permissible level of public spending, is not, in itself, sufficient to ensure macroeconomic balance. The Fiscal Council believes that domestic budgetary targets and constraints should be more ambitious in order to guarantee the sustainability of public finances and limit economic imbalances. It further emphasizes that adopting a realistic, disciplined, and sustainable budget is essential for preserving market confidence, reducing fiscal risks, and maintaining the country’s positive economic trajectory, Trud writes.

***

In an interview with Trud, former Bulgarian deputy prime minister and ex-minister Nikolay Vassilev sharply criticizes the country’s fiscal policy, calling it “catastrophic” over the past five years and urging deep structural reforms across the public sector. He argues that Bulgaria needs a major reduction in state administration, including cutting excess staff, reducing the number of institutions, and eliminating what he describes as wasteful public spending.

Vassilev says the state should aim for a budget surplus rather than deficits, without raising taxes, but by significantly cutting expenditures. He points to what he sees as an oversized public sector, including too many universities and hospitals, and warns that social systems such as disability assessments require reform to eliminate fraud and abuse.

He criticizes recent government policies on price controls as unclear and ineffective, arguing they distract from real reforms. According to him, the country’s failure to pursue consistent reforms over the past decade has contributed to stagnation, declining investment, and loss of trust from investors.

Vassilev also dismisses concerns about a potential debt spiral, instead urging strict fiscal discipline and a return to policies similar to those in the late 1990s, which he describes as a period of successful stabilization.

SJC REFORM

In Nova TV’s morning talk show, judge Atanaska Disheva, a member of the Judges’ Chamber of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), commented that in the proposals of the ruling party Progressive Bulgaria (PB) for changing the way members of the SJC from the parliamentary quota are elected, there are not enough changes to guarantee transparency of the vote and clear criteria for the qualifications of the members.

Disheva explained the following: “The deficit that has been identified over the years in the election procedure, namely the lack of public information about the qualifications of candidates elected by Parliament, is not being addressed by the currently proposed amendments. Transparency and publicity could help resolve the problem of preventing the parliamentary quota from being treated as a party quota rather than a genuinely parliamentary one. There must be a possibility to gather sufficient information about candidates over a prolonged period of time. Such a period already exists, but it is not being fully utilized. These candidates should be heard not only before the Legal Affairs Committee, but also before Parliament itself.” However, she stressed that she does not see such a change being implemented.

PB has proposed that the plenary of the SJC should elect the acting Prosecutor General and the President of the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC). Until now, this was done through the prosecutors’ and judges’ chambers within the SJC. Another proposal is that persons who in the last 7 years have served as Prosecutor General, President of the SAC and the Supreme Court of Cassation (SCC), or their deputies, should not be elected as members of the SJC. Disheva commented that the second proposal aims to prevent individuals who have held any of the three highest positions in the judiciary from continuing to exert influence over the judicial system and the work of the SJC.

According to her, the 7-year period is a reasonable solution. She added that there are already restrictions such as limits on second mandates for members of the SJC inspectorate and other positions.

Regarding the idea of a public quota within the parliamentary quota, Disheva said that this has been discussed for a long time. “All legal circles support this idea. The problem here is that the National Assembly cannot be obliged to elect these members. But the step that can be taken through legislation is to allow nominations, while obliging the National Assembly to discuss them, not necessarily to elect them,” she believes. “This is a good measure against the SJC becoming closed off only within the ranks of active magistrates,” she added. She also emphasized that this would be a good step toward opening the SJC to other professional communities.

Disheva also commented on the professional quota. “Over the years, data was publicly presented that there was a process of regional deals and organized voting among judges. When members of this quota were elected through so-called delegate assemblies, this was obvious. To overcome this, the rule of universal voting was introduced, giving every active magistrate the right to vote. One of the risks is shifting elections to local district court regions, where there could be control over the vote. There are proposals to consolidate electoral sections into appellate regions,” she explained. According to her, such elections should be held every five years, and there should be ensured monitoring of polling stations.

ENVIRONMENT

The 24 Chasa daily features a front-page article according to which more than 2 million Bulgarians are exposed to a serious risk from landslides, based on data from the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works. The situation in the country is becoming increasingly alarming because of active ground movements. An updated map from early May shows a total of 2,273 landslides in critical regions. The worst-affected areas are the regions of Varna, Pleven, and Pernik. About 40% of these zones are currently fully active, the publication writes.

The Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works is carrying out preventive monitoring of 26 specific landslides. These measures protect more than 4,000 people living in the immediate vicinity of the dangerous terrain. The national landslide prevention program has identified 172 zones posing the highest risk to the population. These sites are located mainly along the Black Sea coast and the Danube River coast. The Eastern Rhodope Mountains and Western Bulgaria are also on the danger list.

In the Smolyan region, problems caused by torrential rains continue. A dangerous landslide threatens the key road between Smolyan and Pamporovo. There is a real risk that more than 2,500 people could be completely cut off from the outside world. The recent floods have already caused more than BGN 10 mln (some EUR 5 mln) in infrastructure damage. Widespread landslides and overflowing rivers are making the work of maintenance crews more difficult.

DEFENCE

The online news outlet Mediapool.bg features an article stating that Bulgaria is trying to catch up with its lag in defence capabilities using EU funds. According to the analysis, Bulgaria remains the weakest link in NATO and continues to rely on Soviet-era weaponry. Modernizing the army and bringing it closer to the standards of other EU and NATO member states will cost billions – funds the country cannot afford on its own.

The EU is redirecting cohesion funds toward defence, with Bulgaria planning to allocate EUR 177 million to defence-related spending. At the European level, discussions are also underway about financing drones through cohesion funding, as well as creating new instruments designed to address the defence gap among some EU member states.

A key instrument for the modernization of the Bulgarian army remains preferential loans under the EU SAFE mechanism, through which Bulgaria will finance nine projects worth approximately EUR 3.3 billion. Bulgaria will also participate in eight joint European defence projects. In total, the European Commission will allocate EUR 1.07 billion across 57 defence projects. The total value of projects involving Bulgarian participation is around EUR 319 million. Among them are a cybersecurity enhancement project worth over EUR 52 million, an orbital dual-use systems project with a budget exceeding EUR 57 million, and a project for the development of low-cost reconnaissance satellites with a budget of over EUR 65 million, among others.

DEPOSIT RETURN SCHEME

Bulgarian National Radio has an interview with Zhanna Velichkova, Executive Director of the Association of Soft Drinks Producers in Bulgaria. In her words, the introduction of the deposit return scheme is a condition for Bulgaria’s membership in the OECD. The Ministry of Environment and Water has published for public consultation a draft law related to the introduction of a deposit return scheme for certain types of waste.

Velichkova said that the deposit system is already somewhat familiar to Bulgarian society and explained how it works. According to her, it operates in almost all of Europe: “There are already 18 countries with such a scheme, and it has proven to be the most successful tool for achieving very high collection rates – between 85% and 98% of beverage packaging is collected, including plastic bottles and metal cans. These packages are also a highly valuable raw material. Collected in a clean, separated way, they are processed, recycled at a high quality, and returned into new packaging. In other words, this is a modernization of packaging management, an environmental measure, but also an economic necessity, because industry gains access to this important raw material and can create a real circular economy. We are required not only to collect at such high rates but also to incorporate recycled material. This frees us from finite natural resources and makes us more sustainable and competitive in the future.”

The deposit return model works both with automated return machines and manual collection, Velichkova said. She also emphasized that small shops are required under European legislation to accept returned packaging.

“We don’t have time anymore, current parliament and government must urgently signal clear commitment and continue the process, because the deadline seems far away, 1 January 2029 is not just the date for scheme implementation, but the date by which 90% collection must be achieved. A licensed operator still needs to be appointed, secondary legislation must be adopted, and negotiations and contractual arrangements with retailers must take place to build the system and without using public funds,” Velichkova warned in conclusion.