site.btaSofia Mayor Urges Government Support for Metro, Schools and Vitosha Development

Speaking to journalists after the opening of three new stations on Line 3 of Sofia's Metro underground railway on Friday, Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev said that Prime Minister Rumen Radev's governance programme contains measures that are relevant and important for Sofia Municipality.

On August 12, the Cabinet adopted the Programme for Government of Bulgaria for 2026-2030.

"We hope that things such as the Sofia Metro and its development will be set out in even more concrete terms and that a way of financing them will be found," Terziev added. The extension to Studentski Grad will require funding in the range of EUR 500–600 million, which would be difficult to provide from Sofia Municipality's own funds, the Mayor said. He also expressed hope that more funding would be allocated for the development of Sofia's public transport system as a whole, and that a solution would be found to the issue of financing metro security, with responsibility for it transferred to the Interior Ministry's budget.

Another important issue for Sofia Municipality is the transition to a single-shift system in schools, Terziev said. "We have stated how important State support is in order to structure a programme to assist cities. Sofia, Varna, Plovdiv and Burgas face this problem. I also hope for good cooperation and support for all other educational projects concerning kindergartens, so that we can address the city's most pressing problems," he added.

Vitosha is another priority that is important both to the government and to the municipality. "We need to work together on it so that, finally, the right solution can be found and Sofia residents no longer suffer from the lack of access to the mountain," Terziev said.

Another important issue is municipal projects, as the direction there is still not entirely clear, the Mayor commented. "We understand the government's desire to take a leading role, but we are concerned that although the programme was not perfect before, it was still reasonably transparent. Ultimately, I hope that issues such as the Ring Road and the completion of the children's hospital, which are important both for Sofia and for Bulgaria, will find a path toward practical implementation and funding," he said.