site.btaMedia Review: July 10

No single topic dominates Friday's news media.

POLITICS

Capital weekly looks into the scandal over the Interior Minister announcing last week details about the private plane flights of Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) leader Delyan Peevski. One of these flights was with Constitutional Court judge Desislava Atanasova to Turkiye, the Minister said on July 2, unleashing a veritable storm, the consequences of which are yet to be assessed, the article reads. Rumors about Peevski and his influence - both in government and in business - have long been circulating in Bulgarian society, but this is the first time such claims have been confirmed by an official institution, which is why the information from the Interior Minister is so important. The article goes on to explain why the alleged flight is a violation for multiple reasons. The article also present information released by the Izvan Efir independent journalism platform on July 3, which shows that Peevski took a total of 182 separate flights between 2015 and 2022 on the Vienna-Dubai route and back. A total of 132 of those flights were with Ventsislav Cholakov, a key figure in the management of the now-defunct Bulgartabac Holding, and 64 flights with another businessman linked to the tobacco industry, Delian Denchev. This information is significant because Peevski was indirectly linked to the privatization of Bulgartabac, and the company was mentioned in a 2016 special report by Turkish intelligence services, which alleged that it smuggled cigarettes to finance terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State and the Kurdish PKK, a story first reported by Capital. The article concludes that the most important thing in this scandal is not only to shed light on Peevski's flights, but also lead to an in-depth investigation of "his more than 20 years of behind-the-scenes activities as an oligarch who has drawn on vast public resources, his mysterious accumulation of wealth, the insolvency of Corpbank, the loans from the Bulgarian Development Bank, and everything else for which the public has no answers."

On bTV's morning show, the topic was discussed by sociologist Elena Darieva and political scientists Prof. Rumyana Kolarova and Prof. Maria Pirgova. In Kolarova's words, the scandal surrounding Peevski’s flights seems unnatural because it is conducted in a lawyerly style, which is not appropriate in politics. In her view, both the style and the arena in which the debate on this issue is taking place are misguided. “If there is an investigation, the Minister cannot publish anything. This is a trap he is walking into in his desire to be a hero,” she said. According to Darieva, there is no complete picture in this case. “At the moment, the only documented evidence we have is Desislava Atanasova’s response,” she noted. “Since the institutions are currently handling the matter, we will likely only begin to understand the actual state of affairs going forward. An indisputable principle of public reaction states that when a situation is perceived as real, its consequences are real. In this sense, even the facts themselves are not as important in this case as the final outcome that has been achieved,” Darieva commented. Pirgova said that she does not view what is happening as a scandal.“This is part of the new government’s policy to investigate the source of Peevski’s funds for over 280 flights to Dubai. Those funds came from somewhere,” she said. Atanasova’s involvement is a sort of side effect, although there is moral significance in the fact that a constitutional judge failed to comply with the standards she is required to follow, Pirgova added.

On Nova TV's morning show, experts Andrey Raychev, Hristo Panchugov, and Petar Cholakov presented various viewpoints on the scandal. Cholakov commented that the Interior Minister’s actions represent a serious commitment to fulfilling the ruling party’s promises. According to him, Bulgaria has already shown that it struggles to deal with such problems on its own. Raychev argued that resolving such cases should not depend on the US Magnitsky Act, because it is unacceptable for Bulgaria to deal with its internal affairs through a foreign law. In his view, the country needs “an honest and formidable prosecutor at the helm of the state prosecution,” and the main challenge is to dispel the suspicion that Peevski influences the judicial system. Panchugov disputed the notion that replacing prosecutors alone will yield results; greater transparency in public procurement and oversight of public funds are needed. 

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Trud has an interview with political scientist Assoc. Prof. Stoycho Stoychev, who talks about the upcoming presidential elections and the Government’s two months in power. According to him, the right-wing parties will not unite around a single presidential candidate. He does not think Progressive Bulgaria will back Iliana Iotova; their candidate will not be known until the last moment. On Progressive Bulgaria’s governance, Stoychev commented that the Cabinet’s moves are to a large extent predictable, which is good in voters’ eyes. Nothing radical has changed during their two months in power, but that is to be expected given that a radical change in the country’s economic, trade, and political direction is not possible when it is a member of so many unions and is integrated in the global financial market. That limits the Government in what it can do, contrary to election campaign promises. Winning next year’s local elections will be crucial for Progressive Bulgaria to build a stable circle of supporters locally, Stoychev believes.

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Segabg.com reports that while the joint project with Germany’s Rheinmetall for an ordnance plant in Bulgaria is hanging in the balance after the Government said the deal made by its predecessor is no good and hard to fund, the company announced its new cooperation in the Balkans. Rheinmetall and Croatia’s DOK-ING have presented a joint enterprise, marking the start of long-term strategic industrial partnership with local producers. To be manufactured in Croatia are contemporary defence technologies in the field of unmanned aircraft. [In Bulgaria, Rheinmetall and VMZ-Sopot were to establish a gunpowder and ammunition factory as part of the deal arranged by the Rossen Zhelyazkov government of GERB.]

Mediapool.bg quotes GERB and Democratic Bulgaria representatives as criticizing the Cabinet for sabotaging the deal with Rheinmentall. According to GERB, the deal is of strategic importance for Bulgaria and the EU. According to Democratic Bulgaria, the Government is pushing away a strategic German investor and focusing efforts on attracting Chinese capital, which will result in Rheinmetall building their gunpowder plant in a neighbouring country. The e-zine recalls that on Tuesday, the Plovdiv Administrative Court overturned the decision by the Karlovo Municipal Council regarding a local referendum on the plant’s construction, thereby paving the way for the project to move forward.  

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On Bulgarian National Television's morning show, experts Tsvetelina Peneva of the Public Council to the Central Election Commission and Prof. Mihail Konstantinov analyzed the draft changes to the Election Code related to only machine voting at polling stations with more than 300 voters and the expansion of voting options abroad. They discussed the technical challenges, issues with the machines, the need for expert analysis, and the training of election commissions. Peneva emphasized the need for a working group to determine the causes of “short ballots” and machine malfunctions, as well as the importance of establishing a pool of trained election commission members. Konstantinov highlighted the difficulties older voters face when using the machines and proposed stationing lawyers at polling stations to ensure the integrity of the process.

HOME AFFAIRS

Trud reports on its front page that draft amendments to the Child Protection Act tabled by GERB-UDF completely ban social media for children under 16, while imposing strict restrictions and an internet curfew on teenagers aged 16 to 18. Fines for violating these rules will start at EUR 50,000. “We all know that social media is dangerous. We know that when a product is free, the product is the consumer,” explained Prof. Kostadin Angelov of GERB. The bill calls for the creation of a mobile app called “Digital Wallet” to verify age, Angelov explained. He emphasized that this digital wallet is in line with the European Commission’s adopted measures to implement a European digital identity wallet. “Any child who wants to create a social media profile must have the app installed and prove their age. They will no longer be able to misrepresent their age to social media platforms,” Angelov noted. The app will be free to use and will be developed by the Ministry of Electronic Governance.

On bTV’s morning show, experts commented on the proposed revisions, agreeing that parents, teachers, and platforms should share the responsibility for children’s online safety. Maria Bresnichka of the National Network for Children commented that the issue with the bill is how effective this measure is and whether a ban alone can ensure that children are safe on social media. Australia's example shows that despite the ban, 80% of children still have access to their social media accounts. School principal for many years, Asen Alexandrov argued that no ban has ever been completely effective - children are also consuming alcohol and cigarettes. According to him, many parents themselves are unable to set a personal example for their children on how to use social media in moderation. He cited data showing that 71% of children in Bulgaria spend more than 3 hours on social media a day, 37% of them cannot tear themselves away from it, 42% have experienced online bullying, and 33% report having trouble sleeping and feeling anxious.

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Telegraph has an interview with Bulgarian Kiril Vassev, Deputy Sheriff of the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office, who talks about road traffic laws in the US in light of the issues in Bulgaria with traffic violations and road safety. In his words, Bulgarians need to change their mindset. "I see people driving fast, with double and triple passing - it has even happened to me. Come on, where are they rushing off to? Don’t you listen, don’t you watch the news, don’t you read the newspapers to find out what is going on? For the ultra-rich, a fine of EUR 50 to 100 will not faze them. Neither will the speed cameras. There need to be more patrol officers on the roads. In the US, if you have been caught three times for drunk driving - even if you have not caused an accident or killed anyone - you go to court. The judge will sentence you to 3 to 4 weeks in jail. We do not have that here. Even minor offenses must be punished severely and harshly, because it prevents you from committing something more serious. In the US, they also give 20 or 40 hours of community service," he explains.

ECONOMY

Bulgarian National Television's morning show focuses on the effect of the draft 2026 state budget on households. Financial expert and Fiscal Council member Lyubomir Datsov commented that despite the Government’s public assurances, the three-year budget forecast through 2028 indicates a continuation of the same trend that led to the accumulation of deficits after 2021. According to him, sectoral policies remain unclear. The expert is adamant that sustainable fiscal management cannot be achieved without a change in the philosophy of budgeting. He noted that Bulgaria has a modern tax system, established two decades ago, which is more efficient than the systems in many European countries. Nevertheless, the lack of reforms and the reluctance to restructure spending are exacerbating the problems. Datsov noted that the 2026–2027 period will be among the strongest economic years, making this period suitable for reforms, including the optimization of the workforce in the public sector.

24 Chasa has an analysis by Hristo Nikolov on the draft 2026 state budget’s provision whereby ministries and state agencies are prohibited from spending budget money on celebrations, even for Christmas and New Year’s parties, seminars, and training; the only exception are events part of an international commitment or those funded under an international project. If adopted, this provision would make Bulgaria the fourth country in Europe (after Greece, Italy, and Romania) to cut this type of spending. According to Nikolov, the other countries who resorted to this measure achieved a limited fiscal effect, so its aim is rather to appease Bulgarian society and give them a sense of justice. The move comes after it was decided that public servants would be compensated for being made to pay their own insurance contributions from now on.

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Telegraph’s front-page article is about rising food prices under the title, “Salad Surpasses Meatball.” A salad costs more than a meatball, which is actually more cost-effective for satisfying hunger, the article reads. The daily’s team compared prices of salad ingredients at various locations, including retail chains, fruit and vegetable stores, and markets selling garden-grown tomatoes. It turned out that over the course of about ten days, garden tomatoes appear on the stalls at prices that depend on the vendor’s discretion and with origins that vary based on preferences for a specific region of the country. For example, at the Women’s Market in the capital, tomatoes were priced between EUR 1.50 and EUR 4.50 per kilogram on one and the same day, compared to EUR 6 at a small shop on Vitosha Boulevard. A few days later, a retail chain had put them on sale for EUR 2.79. Three days later, the same chain doubled the price of the garden tomato and was now selling it for nearly EUR 6. An immediate survey of other stores in the capital on the same day showed that these very same garden tomatoes were being sold in two stores on the central Graf Ignatiev Street - one for EUR 3 per kilogram and the other for about EUR 2.75, with the tomatoes in the first store originating from Petrich and those in the second from Haskovo. 

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24 Chasa’s front-page story reads that the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy is considering a reform of the disability evaluation system to put a stop to abuses. The system is the key to EUR 2 billion, and over 250,000 working-age Bulgarians receive a disability pension through it. Under the new system, the disability evaluation will be based on the applicant’s needs.

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On Bulgarian National Radio, organic beekeeper Dimitar Kostadinov said this year has been a little better for beekeepers than last year: “There is good honey, but these imports from South America, Ukraine, and China are messing with our prices. I see what the price is in Germany - a kilogram of linden honey there costs EUR 28. But here, if you quote EUR 12 or 15, they say, ‘That is too expensive for me.’” Kostadinov called on the Government to give more consideration to beekeeping. He also hopes for changes to the law aimed at supporting beekeeping and reducing imports: “We need to ensure that Bulgarian honey is available on the market, because there has been a lot of talk lately about fake honey. Honey is being counterfeited, but our honey is wonderful.” There is also increasing talk in Bulgaria about apitourism. In February, during the beekeeping exhibition in Pleven, the potential for an apiary to become an attractive tourist destination was demonstrated. The concept of so-called api-wellness or apitourism combines a vacation in nature, learning about the beekeeper’s work, and the opportunity to relax near the hives - a practice that is gaining popularity in a number of European countries. Slovenia is a pioneer in apitourism and the first country to introduce national certification for bee houses and wellness facilities. The experiences include inhaling hive air and sound therapy using the buzzing of bees. Kostadinov is seeking cooperation from Slovenia to create similar opportunities here in Bulgaria.