site.btaMedia Review: September 10

VON DER LEYEN'S STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH

The Bulgarian National Radio and dnevnik.bg focus on Wednesday’s State of the Union speech of European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, which she will deliver before the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Interviewed on Bulgarian National Radio, Maria Simeonova, head of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) office in Sofia, says that von der Leyen will present her report on the first year of her second term, addressing a highly polarized European Parliament.

"The purpose of the speech is to look at what has been accomplished over the past year, to assess it, and to set the priorities for the next 12 months," said Simeonova. "The current geopolitical context demands strong leadership and rapid decision-making to ensure the interests of European citizens are safeguarded."

The rise of populism, as well as both far-right and far-left forces, is creating tension within the European Commission, Simeonova added.

At the same time, negotiations are ongoing over the next seven-year EU budget, which is expected to bring significant structural changes. According to Simeonova, funding is being cut from some of the traditionally large sectors and redirected toward security and defense — something that could be seen as the new profile of the EU. Von der Leyen, she added, will need to justify the necessity of increased spending on security and defense.

Simeonova also stressed that the rule of law principle will be applied with much greater responsibility, and that rules for accessing EU funds will become stricter. "This affects us too," she said, implying that Bulgaria should monitor the developments closely.

RUSE POLICE CHIEF ASSAULT

On Tuesday, the Yes, Bulgaria! party, part of the opposition coalition of Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB), demanded that Interior Minister Daniel Mitov dismiss everyone who participated in "spreading disinformation" about an incident in Ruse, which ended with chief of police in Ruse, Senior Commissioner Nikolay Kozhuharov, being hospitalized on September 4 following a middle-of-the-night altercation with four youths.

Speaking on the morning programme of Nova TV, Deputy Interior Minister Filip Popov reiterated that the brawl was an attack on the state. “It is unacceptable for someone to be beaten in front of people on the street,” said Popov, reaffirming Interior Minister Daniel Mitov’s earlier statement that the incident was an attack on the state. Mitov made this claim the day after the altercation, in which four young men assaulted the police chief.

As of now, Kozhuharov remains hospitalized with serious injuries: a punctured kidney, a broken rib, and blood loss of about a liter and a half.

“There is absolutely no evidence that Minister Daniel Mitov or the Interior Ministry lied,” said Popov. “We held a press briefing in Ruse on the same day and clearly informed the public about the case. The ministry’s official bulletin covers events until midnight. The prosecutor’s office was immediately notified with a report, and only the prosecution is authorized to disclose facts and circumstances of the case. And they did so, that same day, alongside the minister and the ministry’s chief secretary.”

Popov is the only Interior Ministry official who has spoken to the media after questions emerged about the ministry’s initial version of the events. Addressing recently surfaced video footage online, Popov added: “Even in the new video, I don’t see anything that contradicts the Interior Ministry’s statement.”

MUNICIPAL TAX COLLECTION

Segabg.com reproduces an annual report by the Institute for Market Economics (IME), saying that only about one-third of municipalities in Bulgaria collect their local taxes efficiently. The analysis, which covers all 265 municipalities in the country, focuses on the collection of property taxes and vehicle taxes, the two main sources of municipal revenue.

The study reveals that many municipalities have significant potential to increase their income without raising tax rates. Instead, they could boost their revenues simply by improving the collection rate of taxes already in place. IME also warns that increasing tax rates could be counterproductive, particularly in economically weaker regions. Higher taxes often lead to lower compliance, as fewer people are willing or able to pay them.

There isn't a single municipality in Bulgaria that manages to collect 100% of its planned local taxes. Only two municipalities, Kotel and Valchi Dol, manage to collect over 90%. Meanwhile, just over a third of all municipalities (91 out of 265) manage to collect 80% or more. In contrast, the situation is particularly dire in the Northwest and Northeast regions, as well as in municipalities along the western border, where collection rates often fall between 50% and 60%.

The most important source of municipal income is the property tax. In larger cities, this tax shows relatively high levels of compliance, with over 80% of the planned amount typically collected. In Sofia, the rate is 81.5%; in Plovdiv, 83%; and in Varna, Burgas, and Stara Zagora, it rises to around 87%. The municipalities of Lucky, Kozloduy, and Krumovgrad are among the best performers, with collection rates of 97.6%, 96.5%, and 95% respectively.

At the other end of the spectrum, municipalities like Tran and Treklyano collect only 48% and 50% of the expected revenue from property taxes. Petrich and Dobrich also perform poorly, with collection rates of just 47% and 51%.

When it comes to the vehicle tax, the situation is generally worse. This tax shows lower collection rates across the board. Only about twenty municipalities in the entire country manage to collect more than 80% of the expected amount. In Sofia, the vehicle tax collection rate is 77%, while in Plovdiv it stands at 74.6%. Burgas and Varna report 76%, and Stara Zagora reaches 79.8%. However, some larger cities underperform - Ruse, for example, collects only 57% of the expected vehicle tax revenue.

Despite these challenges, there is a positive trend overall. Tax collection efficiency has improved in recent years. In 2024, the average collection rate for both taxes was 76%, a significant increase compared to 66% in 2015.

EU SAFE PROGRAMME

Mediapool.bg writes that the European Commission (EC) has approved the preliminary allocation of EUR 150 billion in financial assistance under the SAFE (Security for Europe) programme, aimed at strengthening defence readiness across the EU. Bulgaria is set to receive EUR 3,261,700,000. Bulgaria plans to use part of this funding to finance joint factories with Rheinmetall in the country, as and purchase 3D radars jointly with France. The EC will prioritize funding for joint projects between member states. Bulgaria is receiving more than its initial request, which was for funding of up to EUR 3,067,800,000.

The SAFE programme was adopted by the Council in May 2025. SAFE will provide long-term, low-interest loans to help member states urgently acquire essential defense equipment. The programme includes a 10-year grace period for loan repayments, competitive interest rates, and opportunities for bilateral agreements with third countries.

The EC states that member states can now begin drafting their national investment plans, outlining how they intend to use the potential financial assistance. These national plans must be submitted by the end of November 2025. The Commission will assess them in order to make the first payments at the beginning of 2026.

NATO member states have also decided to significantly increase defense spending. By 2035, they will be required to allocate 5% of their GDP annually to the sector, 3.5% in direct military spending, and 1.5% for defense-related expenses, such as infrastructure. By comparison, Bulgaria currently spends 2% of its GDP on defence.

WATER CRISIS

Segabg.com caps that at least 55 million cu m of water have been stolen via 2,188 bypass connections over a period of three years. Preliminary details about Bulgaria’s ongoing water shortages have emerged from data provided by Regional Development Minister Ivan Ivanov in response to a parliamentary question from MP Stella Nikolova (CC-DB).

In the last three years, 2022, 2023, and 2024, unauthorized water consumption (mostly due to bypasses installed before water meters) has reached a shocking 55,132,557 cu m, resulting in financial losses of BGN 115,574,439 N (approx. EUR 59 million).

Other data provided by Ivanov shows that in 2024, there were 857 confirmed cases of illegal connections, about 200 more than in the previous two years. The figures come from subsidiaries of the state-owned Water Holding). 

The Minister admits that despite daily inspections, it's very difficult to detect illegal connections due to the underground infrastructure, implying that many thefts likely remain undetected.

Moreover, this data only reflects one type of water theft - illegal connections. Other forms include manipulating water meters, forged documents, and more.  Minister Ivanov acknowledges that eliminating illegal connections alone won’t fully resolve the water shortage issues, but action in this area is clearly necessary.

24 Chasa adds that the amount of water stolen over this period of three years is equivalent to the five-year consumption of Pleven, a city currently facing a water crisis. 

According to the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH), river runoff, which is the main source of drinking and domestic water, has halved this summer compared to spring due to drought. In March, April, and May, the river runoff was around 3.4 billion cubic meters, while projections for June, July, and August estimate a total of only 1.7 billion cubic meters. 

If the lack of rainfall continues, the total annual surface water flow may fall below 9 billion cu m, a historically low level, according to hydrologist Georgi Koshinchanov from NIMH.

By comparison, the average annual runoff between 1991 and 2020 was 17 billion cu m. Bulgaria has seen both wetter and drier periods — the wettest year on record was 1963, when river inflows exceeded 30 billion cu m. On paper, Bulgaria has around 100 billion cu m of water resources annually, but 75% of that comes from the Danube River, which is not used for domestic needs. Due to this, the European Union classifies Bulgaria as a water-rich country. In reality, the remaining 25 billion cu m are the usable resources, sourced from rivers, rainfall, reservoirs, groundwater, springs, and wells across the country.

UKRAINIAN AMBASSADOR INTERVIEW

24 Chasa carries an interview with Ukrainian Ambassador Olesya Ilashchuk. Asked what has been underestimated regarding the conditions under which peace can be achieved, she says that peace is only possible when it is just and based on international law, not when it is dictated by force.

The world is changing rapidly, but there are things that remain unchanged. This applies to the formula for peace. Peace in Ukraine cannot be achieved if that “peace” means capitulation, loss of sovereignty, or allowing the aggressor to dictate the terms. Peace at the expense of Ukraine is not peace, it is simply a new war, just postponed or moved to another region. International law must remain inviolable and effective. It is the foundation of our peaceful coexistence. Asked whether there is even the slightest concern that NATO's position toward Ukraine may have shifted in recent months, Ilashchuk says that the Ukrainian people firmly support Ukraine’s accession to NATO, over 80% of citizens are in favor, and no Russian propaganda has managed to change public sentiment.

NATO remains the only true guarantor of security for European countries. Ukraine, in its past, has declared neutrality at one point, and that only accelerated Russia’s armed aggression.

Ukraine is firmly committed to becoming a full member of the European Union and NATO. This path is irreversible, and we continue to work with all our partners to achieve this goal. Ukraine is actively working with all EU allies on the opening of the first negotiation cluster (for EU membership), and it is counting strongly on Bulgaria’s shared experience in the process of European integration.