Balgarianovinite.com In a Nova TV interview on Sunday, commenting on proposed European sanctions against Russia, Progressive Bulgaria’s Floor Leader Petar Vitanov argued that Bulgaria’s government is guided by two key principles: first, that it cannot support sanctions that inflict greater damage on the European economy than on Russia, and second, that it must protect its national interests and economy.
Vitanov explained that sanctions are discussed at the level of permanent representatives, or ambassadors, and are ultimately decided by the Foreign Affairs Council. He said that Bulgaria had expressed reservations regarding several companies and individual persons included in the proposed sanctions package. Additional concerns, he said, relate to a company that supplies spare parts for metro carriages in Sofia’s underground transport system. According to Vitanov, Greece, Italy, Cyprus, Malta and Ireland have also raised objections concerning other companies, while Slovakia has voiced reservations about including Russia’s Patriarch Kirill on the sanctions list.
Commenting on the proposal to sanction Patriarch Kirill, Vitanov said he should be viewed not as an individual but as the spiritual leader of the Russian Orthodox Church. He argued that religious institutions do not determine military actions and that European sanctions should not target religion. Such measures, he warned, could fuel Eurosceptic sentiment by creating the impression that European institutions are interfering in religious affairs.
Referring to Prime Minister Rumen Radev’s statement that Bulgaria would be “shooting itself in the foot” by supporting sanctions against Lukoil co-owner Vagit Alekperov, Vitanov said the real concern was preserving the derogation granted to Lukoil and safeguarding the refinery’s role in the Bulgarian economy. He stressed that the issue was not directed against a particular individual but rather against potential actions that could negatively affect Lukoil and, consequently, Bulgarian consumers who depend on the refinery’s products.
Turning to domestic finances, Vitanov said the state budget would require spending cuts and savings across nearly all government institutions. He added that decisions would be made carefully and with “surgical precision” to avoid creating social tensions. According to him, the past two years had been marked by excessive spending, leaving the country’s finances in a difficult position. Given the circumstances, he said, borrowing remains the only realistic way to finance the budget.
Despite the challenging fiscal situation, Vitanov stressed that the government’s objective is to ensure that neither workers nor pensioners bear the burden of the adjustment measures.
Asked about the upcoming presidential election, Vitanov said that President Iliana Iotova would be a suitable candidate for the upcoming presidential elections later in 2026.
On January 23, 2026, Vice President Iotova has become Bulgaria’s new President after the Constitutional Court ruled on Thursday that the mandate of head of State Rumen Radev has been terminated early following his resignation. Under the Constitution, when the powers of the head of State are terminated, the Vice President assumes the presidency for the remainder of the term. Bulgaria Must Not Support Sanctions That Harm Europe More Than Russia, Says Progressive Bulgaria’s Floor Leader Vitanov 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-06-21 16:18:50 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law