site.btaMedia Review: May 28

POLITICS – APPROVAL RATINGS

bTV reports that a new government led by Rumen Radev starts with 50% public trust against 24% distrust, citing a survey by Market Links conducted between May 16 and May 27 among 1,008 respondents through face-to-face interviews and online polling. Sociologist Dobromir Zhivkov says the administration is facing very high public expectations. “If these expectations are not met, there will be a serious implosion. It may not happen quickly, but the expectations must be satisfied to some extent,” Zhivkov says on bTV’s morning programme.

Zhivkov says Radev remains the central figure driving support for the new administration. “All results clearly show that Radev’s central role is carrying the political capital of this new government,” he says, adding that the trend has strengthened during the cabinet’s first weeks in office. The broadcaster notes that trust in the previous Gurov caretaker cabinet stood at 28% in May against 41% distrust, up from 20% trust in April. Zhivkov links the increase to public approval of the organization of the elections.

bTV adds that Rumen Radev enjoys 56% trust against 22% distrust. GERB leader Boyko Borissov has 13% trust against 77% distrust, while Continue the Change’s Assen Vassilev records 13% trust and 72% distrust. Vazrazhdane’s Kostadin Kostadinov has 11% trust against 68% distrust. The broadcaster also reports that Democratic Bulgaria’s Atanas Atanassov has 7% trust against 72% distrust, while Movement for Rights and Freedoms leader Delyan Peevski records 8% trust and 88% distrust. 

ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTION – SEASIDE

Mediapool writes that the government has uncovered numerous violations and years of institutional inaction over the illegal residential complex in the Baba Alino area near the Golden Sands resort outside the coasta. Minister of Agriculture and Food Plamen Abrovski, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Ivan Shishkov and Deputy Interior Minister Kaloyan Miltenov describe the case as “lawlessness” and say 104 buildings have been erected or are under construction on 10 hectares without construction permits. Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev also says the development lacks the necessary permits, while the KUB Corporation, controlled by Ukrainians, insists the project is legal.

The site reportedly has no urban development plans and the land is still classified as forest. Mediapool.bg adds that three “tolerance certificates” issued in 2023 for allegedly pre-2001 buildings are now disputed by the government. Shishkov says satellite imagery shows construction activity only began in 2024-2025. The online media outlet notes that several inspections since 2023 found illegal logging and construction, but produced no practical outcome. The Interior Ministry has opened three pre-trial proceedings linked to the “illegal town”, including one over official misconduct and document fraud.

Prime Minister Rumen Radev says the case “fits into a broader context of processes linked to Bulgaria’s national security”. He refers to a Ukrainian national believed to be linked to KUB Corporation, likely Oleg Nevzorov, whose expulsion order by the State Agency for National Security (SANS) was later revoked. “This is a precedent,” Radev says, adding that no institutional response followed despite reported concerns from SANS’ regional security structures.

Dnevnik also covers the topic. According to the government representatives who visited Varna region, the construction of the residential complex in the Baba Alino area near Varna is absolute lawlessness. The media outlet once again reiterates the positions expressed by the ministers, quoting Abrovski as saying that violations have been established concerning illegal logging and construction activities. There has been illegal logging and construction on a property subject to a full ban on changing its status. This is what the forestry officials, who have reported it to the Varna Municipality, the Varna police and the prosecuting magistracy, have established, Abrovski said.

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NOVA TV runs an interview with Minister Abrovski, in which he says buyers of apartments in the illegal residential complex near Varna may seek compensation claims from the municipality. Speaking on the broadcaster’s “Hello, Bulgaria” programme, Abrovski says the land where the so-called “illegal town” was built is forest territory designated for timber production, making any change of purpose “absurd”.

Abrovski says forestry officials detected illegal logging and construction during an inspection in October 2023 and informed all competent institutions, including the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water, Varna Municipality and the police. “At that point the municipality should have issued an order to stop all construction and, if it was not complied with, clear the site,” he says. The Minister adds that one of the plots was acquired through a land swap in 2005 and falls under a ban on changing the land’s designated purpose. “It is absurd to issue a tolerance certificate for such a property,” Abrovski says.

Nova TV adds that Abrovski claims the head of the State Agency for National Security imposed a compulsory administrative measure on one of the investors in the complex, only for it to be revoked 10 days later. “What happened is extremely ugly, sheer arrogance,” he says, adding that institutions acted separately for years before finally coordinating their response. The broadcaster recalls that police and municipal authorities uncovered the “illegal town” on May 26 in the Baba Alino area near Varna, where 104 buildings had been erected on 10 hectares without permits. Construction has since been halted and several people detained.

FOOD SAFETY

Mediapool reports that fruit and vegetables with excessive pesticide levels are entering Bulgaria and the EU through the Kapitan Andreevo checkpoint on the border with Turkiye because of compromised border controls, citing former Bulgarian Food Safety Agency Director Angel Mavrovski. In an interview for the online media outlet, Mavrovski says laboratory results at the State-run facility on the border can be manipulated through hacked computer systems lacking any cyber protection. “The shocking part is the possibility to manipulate laboratory results in every possible way. The computers at the border have absolutely no cyber protection,” Mavrovski says, adding that he was dismissed shortly after raising the issue.

Mediapool adds that the State laboratory purchased its equipment from Eurolab 2011, the private company that previously handled phytosanitary controls at Kapitan Andreevo before the government of former prime minister Kiril Petkov transferred the activity to the State. Former employees of the private laboratory were also hired by the Stat-run lab, Mavrovski says. The website recalls that investigative outlet BIRD linked Eurolab 2011 to figures associated with the underworld figure known as Taki.

Mavrovski also claims that illegal slaughterhouses buy so-called “fallen cows”, referring to sick animals later processed in meat plants. He further says EU subsidies are being drained through fictitious livestock schemes involving “virtual animals”.

JUSTICE

Bulgarian National Radio reports that Minister of Justice Nikolay Naydenov describes the resignation of Borislav Sarafov, director of the National Investigation Service and deputy prosecutor general, as a “first step towards freeing the judicial system from alleged dependencies linked to his name”. Naydenov says that if he were to congratulate Sarafov, it would only be a partial gesture, as the resignation applies solely to his leadership role and not to his position as a magistrate.

Naydenov adds that on June 4 he will meet European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi regarding the ongoing procedure for selecting Bulgaria’s European prosecutor. He declines to comment on the exchange of statements between Kovesi and suspended European Prosecutor Teodora Georgieva.

ECONOMY – ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Capital writes that electric vehicle sales in Bulgaria hit a record in April, rising by more than 216% year-on-year and significantly outpacing overall growth in the car market. A total of 456 fully electric vehicles were registered during the month, placing Bulgaria second in the EU for annual growth in EV sales after Croatia, based on data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). The weekly notes that electric vehicles account for 9.6% of all new car sales in April, up from 7.8% in March, while plug-in hybrids raise the share of rechargeable vehicles to 11.4%.

Capital adds that the shift is increasingly driven by economic logic rather than environmental concerns, amid sharply higher fuel prices following the war in Iran. National Revenue Agency data show diesel prices in Bulgaria have risen by 37% and petrol prices by 18.7% in the first five weeks of the conflict. The weekly notes that registrations of petrol cars fell by 3.9% and diesel vehicles by 5.1% in the first four months of 2026, despite overall market growth of 3.6%, pointing to a clear shift in consumer demand toward alternative drivetrains.

The weekly reports that Bulgaria remains among the few EU countries without direct subsidies for private electric vehicle purchases, although tax incentives and free parking in blue and green zones remain in place. Across the EU, registrations of electric vehicles rose by 33.8% year-on-year in the first four months of 2026 to nearly 747,000 units, with EVs now accounting for 19.7% of the market. Germany alone registered nearly 224,000 electric vehicles over the period, up by 41.3%, while the International Energy Agency expects global electric vehicle sales to exceed 23 million in 2026.

E-GOVERNMENT

24 Chasa reports that private companies have access to sensitive information related to the functioning of the State, which Minister of Innovation and Digital Transformation Ivan Vasilev describes as a major problem in an interview with Bulgarian National Television. “We will look into why this was allowed and what caused it over the coming months. More importantly, we will find and propose a solution,” Vasilev says.

The daily adds that Vasilev has proposed a major restructuring of the newly merged Ministry, reducing the number of directorates from 19 to eight and cutting 120 staff positions. He says 50 employees will be dismissed, while the total staff of the two former ministries stood at 589, including 70 vacant positions. “Far fewer people will work in the new structure, but I believe this will not affect either efficiency or the quality of work,” Vasilev says.

Vasilev says the Ministry aims to fully transform the functioning of the public administration by eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy and preventing institutions from requesting documents they already issue themselves. He gives his own appointment process as an example, saying he was asked to submit paper copies of documents such as his university diploma and employment record book. “The State already has these things. It asks for them on paper. This has to end,” he says.

The Minister also says there were unfilled positions for which no recruitment competitions had ever been announced, while some employees allegedly never appeared at work. “We all see the effect of public procurement over recent decades, in the potholes on the streets, the poorly built motorways, and electronic services that are inaccessible or locked,” Vasilev says.

24 Chasa further reports that the Ministry is developing a mobile application linked to the Kolko Struva [how much is it] price comparison platform. The app would help consumers identify the cheapest shops for products in their shopping basket based on location and would include a voice assistant for users unable to type. Vasilev says internal testing already shows price differences of EUR 0.20 to EUR 0.40 for the same products within the same retail chain in different cities. “The market is the regulator of fair prices, but technology can increase competition between retail chains,” he says.

RUSSIA 

Bulgarian media cover the recent economic pressure exerted by Russia on Armenia over the latter's orientation towards the West, the number of properties and businesses of Russian nationals in Bulgaria and Russian President Vladimir Putin's video address to the participants in an international security forum in Russia.

Dnevnik: Russia is increasing political and economic pressure on Armenia due to its growing rapprochement with the West and the European Union, including a series of trade and regulatory restrictions affecting key Armenian exports such as flowers, mineral water, brandy, and wine. At the same time, Russian regulatory bodies are introducing phytosanitary and technical bans, which, according to the Armenian side and some analysts, appear to be politically motivated.

The developments come amid Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s policy of diversifying Armenia’s foreign relations and strengthening partnerships with the United States and the EU, including the signing of strategic agreements and participation in regional infrastructure projects that bypass Russia’s traditional sphere of influence. Moscow, in turn, warns of potential risks to Armenia’s economy and energy supplies if Yerevan continues its course away from the Eurasian Economic Union.

Overall, the article describes an escalating pattern of geopolitical and economic pressure, where Russia uses trade restrictions, regulatory tools, and political messaging to curb Armenia’s Western orientation, while Yerevan attempts to balance relations between Russia, the EU, and regional neighbors amid electoral dynamics and regional conflicts.

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According to data obtained by the newspaper Sega from the Bulgarian Registry Agency, Russian citizens continue to own a significant number of properties in Bulgaria, including after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.

The data show that Russian nationals own or co-own thousands of real estate assets across the country. A total of 14,229 property records and 10,375 owners were identified under criteria related to nationality and country of registration. These correspond to 10,954 properties, nearly half of which are located in the seaside municipality of Nessebar.

Of the total, 8,723 property records were created after 24 February 2022, suggesting that a large share of acquisitions took place after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.

According to the Registry Agency, real estate transactions in Bulgaria are recorded through notarial deeds and subsequently entered into the property register. However, citizenship is not a mandatory field in the register unless explicitly included in the deed, which limits the completeness of available data.

Regional distribution shows Russian-owned properties across the country, with the highest concentrations in Nessebar (5,106), Varna (934), Pomorie (851), Burgas (810), Bansko (659), Sozopol (468), Sofia (445), Byala (232), Primorsko (138), and Tsarevo (129), among others.

In addition, the data indicate that 7,854 companies in Bulgaria have Russian individuals or Russian legal entities as partners or owners, representing approximately 0.84% of all registered capital companies in the country. Of these, 944 company records were created after 24 February 2022.

The Registry Agency also reports 37 refusals related to sanctions against the Russian Federation, affecting 18 companies. Among them are cases linked to sanctioned individuals and entities, including VTB Capital, EUROCHEM AGRO BULGARIA EAD and Compliance Development. In several cases, attempts to change ownership or management structures were blocked due to EU sanctions rules. 

State-owned Russian-linked assets in Bulgaria, such as the Kamchia complex owned by the City of Moscow, are also mentioned, with authorities refusing changes in management. Similar refusals were issued regarding other Russian-linked entities due to sanctions compliance requirements.

The article concludes that Russian capital continues to find ways to operate within Bulgaria’s commercial and property systems, despite EU sanctions and restrictions introduced after the invasion of Ukraine.

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Trud leads with a story about what Russian President Vladimir Putin said during an international security forum. Russian media quote Putin as saying the risks posed by the uncontrolled spread of nuclear weapons, extremism, drug trafficking and cybercrime remain a serious threat to all countries without exception. In a video address to participants at an international security forum, the Russian head of state says international terrorism and escalating tensions in various regions are having a negative impact on the global community.

The modern world is interdependent and interconnected, so the escalation of tensions in individual regions has an adverse effect on the entire global community, Putin says. He adds that the forum is intended to seek solutions to security challenges and promote pragmatic cooperation between countries against internal and external threats.

Putin also says the ideas and proposals discussed at the forum would contribute to stronger international security partnerships, a lasting global balance of power, and greater trust between nations.