site.btaMedia Review: July 3

HEADLINES

No single topic dominates the front pages of print media on Thursday. The front-page topic in Trud is a statement from a declaration of Vazrazhdane in Parliament, which reads "An end to the experiments with pension privatization". 24 Chasa leads with an interview with United States’ MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (MIT CSAIL) Director and COO Armando Solar-Lezama. Duma’s front-page topic is about yet another illegal retirement home. The front-page topic in Telegraph is a report on the services to care for the elderly following the inspections in retirement homes across the country.

The morning programmes of the Bulgarian National Television (BNT) and bTV report on the topic of doctors’ and other medical professionals’ demands for higher pay and better working conditions. Trud also has an article on the topic.

The Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) has interviews with Diana Evtimova from the Institute for Public Environment Development, Green Movement co-leader Toma Belev, and political analyst Lyubomir Stefanov.

POLITICS

Diana Evtimova from the Institute for Public Environment Development told BNR that from January 21 to June 30, there were 251 parliamentary committee meetings. The most active committee during this period was the Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs, which held a total of 21 meetings, followed by the Budget and Finance Committee and the Committee for Oversight of Security Services, each with 14 meetings, she pointed out. On the other hand, the committees with the fewest meetings were those on the prevention and counteraction of corruption, electronic governance, and environment and water. The Committee on Prevention and Counteraction of Corruption met only once a month, Evtimova said. “Clearly, although this topic is on the agenda of the media and the public, we know it is an issue that concerns and affects citizens, it is not as prominently represented within the Parliament,” she added. According to her, very few bills have been adopted since the beginning of the year, and none are in the area of combating corruption. "In the current Parliament, the leadership positions of the committees were almost entirely allocated to representatives of the parties in the ruling coalition. In previous years, this was not the practice, and opposition forces held more leadership roles within the committees. This signals a reduction in the opportunity for more active participation by representatives of the opposition in this key part of the legislative process and discussions. The opposition forces do not have the ability to be central participants in the deliberations on draft legislation and in setting the committees' agendas, and consequently, the agendas of the parliamentary sessions as well,” Evtimova noted.

* * *

Trud features an article on the new motion of no confidence in Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov’s government submitted by the Vazrazhdane parliamentary group on June 27, and signed by the MPs of Velichie and MECh. The motion over what is described as the government’s failure in fiscal policy, will be put to the vote on Friday. That is the third no-confidence motion since the Zhelyazkov Cabinet took office.

The daily cites Vazrazhdane Leader Kostadin Kostadinov, GERB Leader Boyko Borissov and Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) MP Atanas Atanassov. Kostadinov called on citizens who, "like us, do not want the country to go bankrupt because of joining the eurozone," to gather outside Parliament at the time the motion is voted on. Speaking at party’s youth forum on Sunday, Borissov said: “If Movement for Rights and Freedoms – New Beginning do not stand with us on Wednesday and Thursday, we will not have a government”. A day before the parliamentary debate, he added: “Velichie was brought into Parliament solely for the collection of signatures for no-confidence votes.” Asked whose support they would count on during the vote, Borissov replied, “We will judge them by their actions. Later, they may claim to be the ‘designers’ of Bulgaria’s entry into the eurozone. We’ll see how these so-called ‘designers’ actually vote.” Atanassov stated, “We do not support this no-confidence vote because we see it as an attempt by pro-Russian forces to stop Bulgaria’s final push to join the eurozone.”

Speaking on BNT’s morning programme, political scientist Tsvetanka Andreeva described Thursday’s no-confidence vote as “somewhat tedious”, with public interest unlikely to be strongly engaged. She noted the outcome is already known - the vote is unlikely to pass, and that its political dimension is clear. According to Andreeva, the vote primarily serves as a challenge to Bulgaria’s planned entry into the eurozone.

Political analyst Lyubomir Stefanov told BNR that the very tool of a no-confidence vote is being devalued. According to him, such votes now tend to have a predetermined outcome. “Coalitions are hard to build and even harder to maintain, and the cost of their collapse is dramatic for all involved, including the opposition. There is a growing, albeit unspoken, belief that opposition parties understand if they propose a scenario in which the government falls, the responsibility to form a new cabinet will then fall on them. For this reason, they fear the vote passing no less than the ruling parties do, as they might find themselves having to govern afterward,” Stefanov explained.

Duma also writes that Democratic Bulgaria and Continue the Change will not back the no-confidence motion against the Zhelyazkov Cabinet.

* * *

Dnevnik writes that the leader of GERB, Boyko Borissov, visibly lost his temper on Wednesday in response to a question from Dnevnik reporter Petya Vladimirova, who asked how he would comment on the fact that the prosecution and security services are becoming active in investigating members of Continue the Change. His reply involved a sharp rise in tone, an emotional recollection of his own arrest, insults directed at political opponents, deflecting questions back at the journalist, labeling the inquiry as an attack, and ultimately a threat to no longer respond to questions in the future.

Mediapool writes that Borissov apologized to Vladimirova "for his tone but not for his words". 

HOME AFFAIRS

24 Chasa writes that Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov has sent all police patrols to secure road safety and ensure a calm summer season on the road. The sub headline reads that Bulgaria’s Schengen accession has increased traffic towards Greece by 30%, according to a Greek national television. The article reads that one million vehicles have passed through the Kulata-Promachonas border crossing between January and May 2025. The article also advises drivers to travel in the early hours of the day while it is still dark in order to avoid the traffic congestion near the border.

* * *

BNR has an interview with Green Movement co-leader Toma Belev who said that thousands of state-owned properties have been listed for sale by regional governors, ministries, and state-owned companies. This government initiative had been announced long ago, accompanied by a promised but unfulfilled guarantee of transparency. The information about the state properties triggered an immediate reaction from the Green Movement, which called for a temporary halt to the sales and a thorough review of the list before proceeding with the actual sale of the properties. In a statement, the movement said this was not the management of surplus assets, as argued by the authorities, but rather “the looting of Bulgaria’s cultural and natural heritage, disguised as a supposedly technical procedure.”

* * *

The top headline on the front page of Duma says that yet another illegal retirement home has been uncovered. The article reads that 11 people have been kept locked up and have been sedated. The illegal retirement home was located in Banya, Karlovo, Central Bulgaria. The establishment is not officially registered as a hospice but as “rooms for rent.” The owners advertised their services by claiming to provide a social assistant. A social assistant is a state-provided service intended for people who are unable to care for themselves. In such cases, a social worker assists them in their own home. However, in this instance, no such workers ever showed up in the rented rooms as promised. The illegal hospice is currently sealed off by the police, and the authorities have yet to release any information. It is believed that the scheme is extensive and requires further detailed investigation.

* * * 

A Telegraph investigation has found that the crackdown on illegal hospices in the country has drastically driven up the cost of elderly care. Fraudsters posing as experienced caregivers have emerged, whose real goal is to obtain a general power of attorney and drain the elderly individuals' bank accounts. Another fraud scheme works the other way around. Fraudulent companies offer Bulgarians to became caregivers abroad and make them pay deposits to secure their job position and then vanish with the money they specifically required to receive in cash.   

ECONOMY

Duma writes that Brussels is providing Bulgaria with more money under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). The article reads that the European Commission has approved the removal of certain reforms and the reallocation or cancellation of some investments. One more step remains before the new version of the Plan receives final approval. This will allow Bulgaria to resubmit its request for a second payment within this year and, if ready, also for a third. With the approved revision, the total funding under the Plan increases due to the inclusion of the new “REPowerEU” chapter, which features projects aimed at achieving energy independence from Russia. As a result, Bulgaria’s NRRP will amount to EUR 6.17 billion, up from the previous EUR 5.689 billion. These funds are intended to support the implementation of 50 reforms and 51 investments.

* * * 

Trud quotes Vazrazhdane MP Dimo Drenchev reading a declaration in Parliament requesting “the discontinuation of experiments with the privatization of pension contributions and their return in full to where they belong - in the state social security system”. A recent case involving a professor from Sofia University, who received a lower-than-expected pension despite above-average income and full contributions, has reignited debate over Bulgaria’s pension system. The discrepancy arose from the dual pension model, where retirees receive payments from both the state system and universal pension funds. In this case, the combined amount was less than a single state pension would have provided. MP Drenchev from Vazrazhdane blamed the pension reform, which partially privatized contributions, for reducing pension incomes and exposing retirees to inflation-related investment risks. He also argued that it weakened the state system by diverting around 1.3% of GDP annually. Citing International Labour Organization data, Drenchev noted that 18 of 30 countries that introduced similar reforms, many in Eastern Europe, have since rolled them back. He described the reform as a failure to deliver on its promise of ensuring a dignified retirement for Bulgarian citizens.

HEALTHCARE

bTV quotes a statement of Bulgarian Medical Association (BMA) issued following remarks by There Is Such a People Floor Leader Toshko Yordanov in Parliament on Tuesday. Addressing medical students and residents, Yordanov urged them to “go to Italy, cover your own expenses, work for five years in a Sicilian village, and then return if you are truly satisfied”. He added that if they are unwilling to work in Bulgaria, the state would be forced to bring in foreign specialists willing to work for the equivalent of USD 500, the maximum the country could offer.

In the Association’s statement quoted by the broadcaster, the BMA said doctors are not “merchandise” to be replaced but professionals with a mission. “Any attempt to belittle the work of physicians is unacceptable,” the letter reads.

bTV also quotes BMA Chair Dr. Nikolay Branzalov, who wrote: “The healthcare system is built on flexibility that allows for professional growth, development, and fair differentiation in pay. This structure must be strengthened, not dismantled. Bulgarian doctors deserve not only fair remuneration but also respect. When that respect is replaced by insult, our reaction is unequivocal and uncompromising.”

The BMA also noted that recent protests by medical students and residents show that there are young people committed to pursuing a future in medicine in Bulgaria. However, Association data indicate the average age of doctors in the country exceeds 52, with nearly two-thirds approaching or past retirement age, bTV reports.

In an interview for BNT’s morning programme, fourth-year medical student Kristiyan Raychev said that Yordanov’s statement was insulting to all doctors who chose to remain in Bulgaria. According to Raychev, such remarks disregard the dedication of medical professionals and imply they can be easily replaced with low-paid workers. He also called for greater transparency in the allocation of medical specializations, highlighting the challenges faced by students and young doctors.

* * * 
Speaking on NOVA TV morning programme, oncologist Dr Jelyazko Arabadjiev said that, in comparison with EU standards, approximately 85% of the medication options for cancer treatment are available in Bulgaria. “Patients have access to all these medications, and fortunately, they are provided free of charge,” he said. However, Arabadjiev noted that distrust towards doctors and healthcare institutions regarding treatment still persists. He also emphasized that while patients’ fear of hereditary risks for cancer is justified, it is crucial for people to undergo regular preventive screenings.

* * *

24 Chasa has an interview with Armando Solar-Lezama, Associate Director and COO of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Laboratory at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Lezama explains that AI will not simply replace scientific knowledge but can assist researchers by interpreting complex data, including chemical formulas and molecular interactions. According to him, AI can help analyze mammograms to detect dangerous tumors at an early stage or assist in understanding complex biological processes like protein folding, which is crucial for medical research. His research group is applying AI to study how cells manipulate RNA, a key process in gene expression. He mentions AlphaFold, an AI system that has revolutionized protein structure prediction, helping scientists accelerate their work. However, he stresses the importance of validating AI-generated results through real-world experiments to ensure reliability. The Professor underlines that society should not wait for AI to become super-powerful or problematic to start discussing its impact, especially in science and healthcare. On one hand, AI tools are constantly improving, yet they still make logical errors that even a seven-year-old would find amusing. “These systems generate code within seconds, whereas it would take an expert many hours to develop the same. At this level, they are quite good, sometimes even outperforming certain doctoral candidates,” Lezama said. In his words, at this stage, it is unclear whether the current trajectory will lead to the emergence of truly advanced AI, it is more likely that significant new scientific discoveries will be needed to develop such systems.