site.btaMedia Review: July 9

Wednesday’s news media are dominated by two major stories: Bulgaria’s official approval to join the euro area starting January 1, 2026, and the arrest of Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev, elected on the ticket of Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB).

24 Chasa leads with the headline “It Is Irreversible! EUR 1 = BGN 1.95583,” referring to the fixed conversion rate between the euro and the Bulgarian lev, which was formally confirmed on Tuesday by the EU’s Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) and the European Parliament. This rate matches the existing peg maintained by the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB).

Telegraph also highlights the confirmed rate and quotes Finance Minister Temenuzhka Petkova as describing July 8 as “a historic day for Bulgaria,” BNB Governor Dimitar Radev as announcing that minting of Bulgarian euro coins will begin this week, and Fiscal Council member Lyubomir Datsov as saying that the move is “a chance for faster progress.”

Duma’s top headline is “Euro Officially in Place Starting January 1, 2026.” The story quotes Deputy Prime Minister and Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) leader Atanas Zafirov as saying that Bulgaria is now joining “the core of European monetary integration.”

Trud’s lead article is about planned tuition hikes for higher education. The daily notes that under an agreement between university rectors and Education and Science Minister Krasimir Valchev, tuition fees will rise by 60% for newly enrolling students and by 20% for current students. The proposal is scheduled to be debated in Parliament next week. The topic is also covered by other dailies.

BULGARIA'S EURO AREA ENTRY

In an interview with 24 Chasa, Fiscal Council chairperson and former finance minister Simeon Djankov describes Bulgaria’s euro area approval as “a well-deserved recognition for a quarter of a century of sound public finances.” He adds that “Bulgaria remains among the countries in Europe with the best fiscal policy”.

He criticizes the lack of a proper public information campaign, saying that “many myths instilling fears have been spread.” He stressed the need for stronger communication efforts in the coming six months.

Djankov says that "the success of joining the euro area shows that the main parties are in control and do not need crutches. We got here thanks to ‘old’ parties like GERB, MRF, BSP, DB. TISP [There Is Such a People] are an exception. These parties proved that together they can accomplish a lot.“

Asked about a possible introduction of a tax on banks' excess profits, the Fiscal Council chairperson says that banks gain significantly from euro adoption and “such a measure is already in place in half of the European countries.” He adds that the Council will recommend additional transitional measures already used in Europe and ways to reduce administrative costs.

Djankov says that to meet the deficit requirements, Bulgaria must start by cutting government administrative spending. The Fiscal Council plans to publish an analysis of Denmark’s model, which involves cutting all budget expenditures - except those for education, pensions, culture, and healthcare - by 2% annually.

He notes that raising taxes and taking on additional debt will be unavoidable.

POLITICS

In an interview with Bulgarian National Radio, political analyst Dimitrar Ganev said that “scepticism surrounding the euro changeover is largely rooted in fears of rising prices.” “There has been a chronic issue with high prices over the past two to three years, and people are concerned that this process will intensify,” Ganev said. In his words, price increases remain the key social issue that could pose serious challenges for the current government.

Commenting on the upcoming vote on a third no-confidence motion against the Zhelyazkov Cabinet, Ganev expressed doubt that the opposition has enough strength to bring down the government. “The 54 MPs from Vazrazhdane, Velichie, and MECh make up a rather small opposition bloc. Even if CC-DB support the motion, the parliamentary arithmetic does not add up,” he said.

Ganev commented on CC-DB’s current political position, noting their inability to effectively act as a full-fledged opposition.

In case of early parliamentary elections, GERB would likely retain similar electoral support, while the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) – New Beginning could increase its influence.

Appearing on Nova TV’s morning programme, political analyst Svetoslav Malinov said: “the opposition has never had 121 MPs to pass a no-confidence motion - with or without [MRF -New Beginning leader Delyan] Peevski. He officially joined the majority [..]. The coalition was formed to secure Bulgaria’s accession to the euro area, but it was unclear whether a new formula would be sought afterwards. It is now clear that GERB's idea is to serve a full term. They will govern with TISP, BSP and MRF - New Beginning, and this coalition cannot be broken up by the opposition.”

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Speaking on Bulgarian National Television’s (BNT) morning programme, GERB-UDF Deputy Floor Leader Denitsa Sacheva emphasized her party’s key role in securing Bulgaria’s path to euro area membership. She attributed the country’s euro area admission to “political stability and the existence of a government,” noting that GERB had made “many compromises, including [party leader Boyko] Borissov not taking the prime minister post.” “This is a success for the ruling majority,” she said. “We express our gratitude to our governing partners. And to MRF–New Beginning, thanks to which Bulgaria has a budget and whose support enabled the adoption of the legal frameworks necessary for the euro area,” Sacheva said.

VARNA MAYOR

All print dailies and television programmes report that Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev has been detained following searches of his official office and his home. 24 Chasa writes that the Anti-Corruption Commission’s raid on Tuesday likely relates to a public procurement contract worth some BGN 5 million for supplying food to schools, as well as compensation involving unclaimed apartments connected to constructions on municipal land.

Speaking on bTV’s morning programme, Plamenka Dimitrova, owner of a catering company, said that she had been racketeered by Kotsev and Varna municipal councilors. “I am a victim of misconduct by the mayor and his close associates in the Varna Municipal Council. They demanded kickbacks from the public procurement contract and other contracts for services I was involved in. This is about a public procurement contract worth BGN 1.5 million. It involved providing food for disadvantaged children,” Dimitrova said. She added that “this scheme aimed to finance the party” was proposed to her last year and it was then that she alerted the Anti-Corruption Commission.

BNT reports that at a news briefing on Wesnesday, Kotsev’s lawyer, Milen Ralchev, said that “the arrest is on suspicion of corruption involving a person with immunity.” He questioned the timing of the investigation, noting that the individual who had filed the complaint was aware of facts concerning the public procurement since 2024. Ralchev suggested there is a political motive behind Kotsev’s detention and that it serves political aims.

NORTH MACEDONIA

Speaking to bTV in Strasbourg ahead of the European Parliament’s vote on North Macedonia’s annual progress report towards EU accession, Bulgarian MEP Andrey Kovatchev said that “Bulgaria has extended a hand to North Macedonia, and that hand remains extended.”

Also on the bTV morning programme, Ljupcho Georgievski, chairman of the Ivan Mihailov Cultural Club in Bitola, which was closed by the authorities in Skopje, expressed skepticism about North Macedonia’s European integration. “In theory, Skopje is on the path towards European integration, but in practice, it is different,” he said. “Macedonian Bulgarians want [North] Macedonia to take the path towards Europe because we have seen how much better life is in Bulgaria. But [North] Macedonia’s path to Europe must include respect for human rights, especially the rights of Macedonian Bulgarians, which are currently non-existent. Bulgarian people in North Macedonia face significant repression,” Georgievski said. 

Appearing on Nova TV's morning programme, journalist Lyubcho Neshkov said that "the Republic of North Macedonia is pursuing policies against Bulgaria in economic, infrastructure, and media sectors.“ “These actions are also against the European Union,” he said. “The report on North Macedonia's progress towards EU membership says several things: this is a country subordinate to the Serbian world and subject to foreign influence - from Russia, China, and Saudi Arabia; there is also strategic corruption. This means it is being led by foreign interests,” Neshkov said. He added that "propaganda in North Macedonia is fueled by foreign media outlets owned by Serbia".

VRANA PARK

Mediapool.bg reports that in a Facebook post on Monday, Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev gave the regional government a deadline until the end of July 9 to officially transfer management of Vrana Park to Sofia Municipality. He warned that if the handover does not happen, the municipality, which has maintained the park since 2012, will be forced to close the landmark to the public.

The dispute has been ongoing in the media for about a year and centers on a 2023 court ruling declaring Vrana Park state property. Sofia Municipality says it lacks a legal basis to continue maintaining the park and insists the regional government transfer responsibility to the local authorities so they can keep managing it.

Speaking on BNT’s morning programme, Sofia Deputy Mayor for Ecology Nadezhda Bobcheva said the municipality currently spends between BGN 500,000 and BGN 600,000 annually on the park’s upkeep.

In response, regional governor Stefan Arsov said the regional administration had not received any official notification from the municipality about withdrawing from the park. Asked what would happen next, Arsov said: “The State has formed a working group involving several ministries. The important thing is to find the most appropriate and effective solution so that the park remains well-managed and accessible to all citizens of Sofia.”

EDUCATION

Bulgarian National Television reported that students are protesting against a planned drastic increase in tuition fees at universities, with many arguing that the hikes threaten both the quality and accessibility of higher education.

On BNT’s morning programme, Sofia University Rector Prof. Georgi Valchev said he has been engaging in “good dialogue with students and has met with Student Council leadership.” He added that the issue of tuition fees has been exaggerated.

Trud quotes Angel Stoykov, Chairman of the National Representation of Student Councils, warning of a potential student outflow from certain university programmes. “Tuition fees reaching five figures will be unaffordable for many students,” Stoykov said, adding that “very few parents can afford to pay BGN 100,000 for a four-year degree.”

SPORTS

Trud leads with a front-page story about FIFA’s new office opening at Trump Tower in New York on Tuesday. The paper features a photo of Bulgarian football legend Hristo Stoichkov alongside Eric Trump, son of US President Donald Trump.

Telegraph reports on a wave of sympathy for Bulgarian tennis player Grigor Dimitrov, who was forced to retire from a Wimbledon match against Jannik Sinner on Monday due to a serious injury. The daily notes that injury has forced Dimitrov to retire from each of his past five Grand Slam matches, including his 2024 Wimbledon match against Daniil Medvedev, his 2024 US Open quarter-final against Frances Tiafoe, and the first rounds of both the 2025 French and Australian Opens.