Balgarianovinite.com The political clash over Sofia’s ongoing waste crisis deepened on Tuesday as more parties called for Mayor Vasil Terziev to resign, while he defended his record, urging citizens to manage their own waste responsibly and framing the disruptions within the context of upcoming elections. Also, the City Hall and the Sofia Inspectorate promised to step up efforts to clear mounting garbage in the city’s boroughs.
The waste collection crisis in Sofia began in October 2025, initially affecting Lyulin and Krasno Selo after the city refused to sign new collection contracts over inflated prices, citing a refusal to pay a “protection racket fee” and to yield to “mafia practices.” By December, the disruption had spread to Izgrev, Poduyane, and Slatina, prompting a temporary collection system. Citizens have reported ongoing delays in several boroughs as the city continues to address the backlog.
On Tuesday, MRF – New Beginning intensified pressure on the Mayor, with party leader Delyan Peevski calling for Terziev’s immediate resignation. The party accused the mayor of being solely responsible for the worsening waste situation in the Bulgarian capital. MRF – New Beginning also alerted outgoing Environment and Health ministers and heads of regional inspectorates, urging strict sanctions, the declaration of a state of emergency, and mobilization of state resources to address the “environmental catastrophe and impending health crisis.”
The Socialists’ BSP – United Left coalition echoed these demands, stating that Terziev has “proven beyond any doubt” that he cannot perform his duties as mayor. In a statement, the coalition criticized the delayed waste collection tenders and the lack of price caps in public procurement, which they said opened the door to corrupt practices. They also highlighted their longstanding proposal to create a municipal enterprise to handle waste collection and disposal.
MRF – New Beginning and BSP – United Left thus joined ranks with There Is Such a People and Vazrazhdane in putting all blame for the situation on the Mayor and calling for his resignation.
By contrast, GERB leader Boyko Borissov argued that Mayor Terziev should remain in office to the end of his term to demonstrate what Continue the Change and Yes, Bulgaria governance looks like. Speaking in a Facebook live broadcast from Stara Zagora, Borissov argued that Terziev’s tenure serves as a cautionary example for voters and called on citizens to see the consequences of their choices.
Mayor Vasil Terziev responded in a Facebook post, framing the crisis within the electoral context and urging citizens to participate actively in elections. He described the situation as a time to clear “political garbage” through voting and civic engagement. Terziev reminded citizens that he had refused to approve a nearly BGN 400 million expense that would have burdened an average four-member family in Lyulin with an annual waste fee of over EUR 500 within a few years. He also encouraged residents to sort waste and avoid placing bulky construction materials in grey containers, framing such actions as a long-term investment in their own finances rather than his personal benefit.
Meanwhile, the Sofia Inspectorate sought to provide a more technical perspective on the crisis. Inspectorate Director Nikolay Nedelkov said at a briefing that additional equipment and trucks had been deployed to the most affected boroughs, including Lyulin, and that the backlog in waste collection should be cleared by the end of January. He also clarified that there is no current need to declare a state of emergency and noted that interim contracts have been signed for several of the city’s waste collection zones, with the aim of increasing transparency on the quantities of garbage being cleared. Political Clash over Sofia’s Ongoing Waste Crisis Deepens as More Parties Call for Mayor’s Resignation 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-01-13 20:26:36 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