Balgarianovinite.com Sofia’s Chief Architect Bogdana Panayotova Monday announced in a Facebook post that she is coming down, following months of public frictions with the city leadership over governance and direction of the city’s urban planning policy. In a statement released soon after that, Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev said he had accepted the resignation, effective 6 January.
On December 23, Sofia Municipality said it expected Panayotova to resign so it can continue efforts to build a functioning, transparent and accountable system for urban planning and development in the capital.
As she announced her decision, Panayotova cited a lack of political support, institutional pressure, and structural constraints that, she said, prevented the chief architect from exercising statutory powers. She rejected claims made by Sofia Municipality on December 23 that her resignation was needed to advance planning reforms, calling them factually inaccurate and an attempt to shift political responsibility onto an expert role.
Panayotova said expert opinions were systematically ignored and that the position had been reduced to a formal post without real authority. She also criticized what she described as administrative disarray and avoidance of difficult planning decisions, adding that her resignation would allow for a new competition for the role.
Terziev said Boyan Nedev has been appointed interim chief architect to ensure continuity in the administration’s work. Nedev is an architect by training and has to this day headed a department in the architecture and urban planning unit of the City Hall.
The mayor said the municipality remains focused on long-term urban development reforms, including the creation of an Infrastructure Development Fund, regulatory changes to curb overdevelopment, and a new approach to planning that integrates construction with traffic, social infrastructure, and green spaces. Sofia’s Chief Architect Comes Down, Mayor Appoints Interim Successor 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-01-05 18:11:00 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