Media Review: November 9 2026

Leave a Comment / All articles, Bulgaria / By България Новините

HEADLINES
The draft 2027 budget dominates the coverage, with debate over borrowing, inflation, social-insurance changes and spending reform. Disputed correspondence about private pension contributions prompts demands for the finance minister’s resignation, while GERB seeks a presidential veto if the budget is adopted.
Other leading stories concern negotiations over the Supreme Judicial Council, the democratic opposition’s future after the presidential election and drone incidents in the Black Sea. Education and labour-market mismatches, fentanyl use and the trial of a Bulgarian citizen in North Macedonia also feature.
ECONOMY
Telegraph reports that the Ministry of Finance has published the draft 2027 budget, projecting economic growth of 2.5% and average inflation of 4%. The planned deficit is 3.5% of GDP on a cash basis and 4.2% under the EU methodology, while public debt is forecast at EUR 44.3 billion, or 31.4% of GDP.
The daily adds that proposals include a temporary windfall tax in selected sectors, a EUR 660 minimum wage and pay increases of 5% for most public employees and 7.5% for teachers. The EU-methodology deficit is forecast to fall below 3% only in 2029, when debt would reach EUR 56.7 billion, the daily reports.
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24 Chasa writes that planned social-insurance changes should generate an additional EUR 990 million in 2027, bringing contribution revenue to EUR 9.51 billion. Minimum income thresholds rise by 6.4%, while the maximum monthly insurable income increases from EUR 2,300 to EUR 2,400; contribution rates remain unchanged.
The daily adds that civil servants and judicial employees will start paying employee contributions, with gross salaries adjusted to preserve take-home pay. The National Social Security Institute’s supervisory board considers the social-insurance draft budget on Monday, followed by the tripartite council on Wednesday, the newspaper reports.
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Sega.bg and Mediapool.bg report that Yes, Bulgaria Co-Chair Ivaylo Mirchev seeks the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Galab Donev over correspondence with the European Commission. Mirchev says a signed letter dated November 2, 2026 proposed temporarily redirecting part of private pension contributions to the state system, and that a later version removed the proposal while retaining the original date.
“The text of a letter can be changed, but trust has no backup copy,” Mirchev said. Telegraph adds that Donev denies any transfer appears in the draft budget or official letter; 24 Chasa also reports Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Pekanov’s position that the idea was unwise, was never discussed by the Cabinet and is absent from the final proposals.
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Mediapool.bg writes that Pekanov says the budget combines social protection, deficit reduction and investment, while further support for businesses facing high energy prices is being prepared. He says the two deficit figures reflect different accounting methods.
“Both figures, unfortunately, are above the required 3%,” Pekanov said. The site adds that plans include cutting 5,000 central-administration posts and ending automatic pay indexation in security and defence; no amounts or implementation dates have been specified for the additional energy support.
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bTV reported that Continue the Change (CC) Chair Assen Vassilev said the budget’s income and investment policies contradicted its growth forecasts. He questioned projected consumption growth of around 8% and said a EUR 4 billion reduction in public investment would require an additional EUR 3 billion from businesses to match the overall investment forecast.
“This is a budget signifying financial collapse and catastrophe,” Vassilev said. Dnevnik also reports on the interview and adds Budget and Finance Committee Chair Konstantin Prodanov’s response that lower spending and borrowing, administrative cuts and a shift towards investment offer the financial stability possible under current conditions.
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Mediapool.bg reports that GERB-UDF MP Daniel Mitov says GERB will ask President Iliana Iotova to veto the budget if Parliament adopts it. He says the draft overestimates revenue and lacks reforms and buffers, while CC Floor Leader Nikolay Denkov says the Government must accept responsibility for its borrowing plans.
“If this budget is adopted, we will call on President Iotova to veto it,” Mitov said. Trud adds GERB leader Boyko Borissov’s claim that high fuel prices cost households and businesses more than EUR 100 million a month, alongside his criticism of delays to GERB’s proposed excise reduction.
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Mediapool.bg reports that Economy Committee Chair Stefan Belchev says presenting the budget at the University of National and World Economy is an act of transparency. “No one is bypassing the National Assembly,” Belchev said, adding that Parliament retains the final decision.
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Bulgarian National Television (BNT) reported that Democratic Bulgaria (DB) MP Martin Dimitrov sought a rewrite before the budget reached Parliament. He said a 4.2% deficit, higher taxes and international energy and transport pressures would deepen the pressure on households.
“The best thing about the budget is that it has not yet been submitted and can be revised,” Dimitrov said. He also said discussions with the European Commission about private pension contributions had proceeded without parliamentary consultation.
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24 Chasa writes that Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB) MP Vladislav Panev wants faster deficit reduction, administrative savings and minority listings of state-owned companies, which he says could raise more than EUR 1 billion. “This is a timid budget,” Panev said, while supporting restraint in public-sector wage growth.
The daily adds DSB Chair Radan Kanev’s assessment that Prime Minister Rumen Radev bears full responsibility for the budget because the Government has its own parliamentary majority. Kanev says lasting spending restraint and protection of individual pension savings are needed, with more room for private-sector growth.
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Nova TV reported differing assessments from economists Mihail Krastev, Lachezar Bogdanov and Lyuboslav Kostov. Krastev and Kostov saw more realistic revenue and spending plans, while Bogdanov said slow deficit reduction, strong credit growth and consumption risked sustaining inflation.
“Reform must go much deeper,” Krastev said, supporting changes that reward effective employees instead of mechanical staff cuts. Bogdanov put the 2027 interest bill at EUR 1.5 billion, while Kostov supported gradual consolidation and further adjustments during parliamentary consideration.
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Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) reported that the Ministry of Finance planned a further EUR 100 million domestic bond auction, offering ten-year securities with a 3.5% annual coupon. Borrowing since the start of 2026 totalled EUR 6.5 billion against an annual ceiling of EUR 10.1 billion, including up to EUR 3.26 billion under the EU’s SAFE defence instrument.
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Trud reports that National Statistical Institute Chair Atanas Atanasov identifies fuel prices as the main driver of October’s preliminary annual inflation rate of 6.1%, with transport prices up almost 30%. “They have at least stopped rising,” Atanasov said of fuel prices; he does not expect a sharp increase in inflation in 2027.
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Nova TV reported disagreement over plans to raise the monthly food-voucher ceiling to EUR 200, with a 7% tax on the portion above EUR 102. Association for Modern Trade representative Nikolay Valkanov and financial journalist Stefan Antonov said fees passed through the system could increase food prices by up to 3%.
Nova TV added that Association of Food Voucher Operators in Bulgaria Secretary-General Tanya Obushtarova rejected that assessment, saying the scheme was too small to move the wider market. “No imbalances were found,” Obushtarova said of a competition investigation, adding that digitization had reduced retailers’ costs.
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Capital writes that 11 bidders have applied to build Yadenitsa dam, a project estimated at EUR 350 million excluding VAT to expand storage for the Chaira pumped-storage hydropower plant. Participants include groups involving Trace Group Hold, GBS Infrastructure Construction, Geostroy and ISA 2000.
The weekly adds that financing remains unsecured, although the Government has approved state guarantees of up to EUR 228 million. The National Electric Company has sought European co-financing, with candidate selection and negotiations still ahead; a funding decision is expected in the second quarter of 2027, Capital reports.
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Telegraph reports that Toplofikatsia Sofia’s debts exceed EUR 900 million, following talks between Bulgargaz and Sofia Municipality attended by Mayor Vassil Terziev and Bulgargaz Chief Executive Georgi Tatarski. Bulgargaz says the heating company repeatedly misses repayment schedules and fails to provide financial information.
The daily reports that further talks are planned, while gas supplies will continue.
POLITICS
Mediapool.bg writes that former caretaker PM Andrey Gurov remains undecided about continuing in politics after the presidential run-off, but favours consolidating the pro-European right. “I have no plans at this stage to create a separate project,” Gurov said.
The site adds that he will discuss his next steps with supporters. 24 Chasa also reports on the interview, adding his allegation that State institutions backed Iotova’s campaign; he nevertheless congratulated her and accepted the result.
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Dnevnik reports that Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB) Chair Radan Kanev sees anti-corruption as an exhausted standalone political message and seeks a coherent economic programme and sustained organizational work. “The anti-corruption platform has become another form of political populism,” Kanev said.
The daily adds that he favours building trust beyond large cities and says another new party following familiar patterns would not meet the right’s needs. He rejects an organizational alliance with GERB and says local elections must prevent Progressive Bulgaria (PB) from concentrating municipal power.
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Sega.bg reports that Deputy Prime Minister Ivo Hristov presents the presidential result as renewed support for PB and attacks the democratic opposition. “Bulgarians reaffirmed the course towards normalization and stability in the country,” Hristov said.
The site adds that he supports legislation requiring institutional names to be transliterated rather than translated into English. It also notes that his account of private pension-fund allocation is incomplete: administrative allocation applies only to people who have not chosen a fund.
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24 Chasa writes that GERB MP Toma Bikov says the Government lacks direction and avoids structural reform despite its parliamentary majority. “I do not see the Radev Cabinet having any goal,” Bikov said.
The daily adds that he seeks energy compensation for businesses and opposes abolishing the Dossiers Commission, favouring a national-memory institute to examine communist-era archives.
JUSTICE
Mediapool.bg writes that negotiations over the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) will determine whether new appointments produce reform or preserve political dependence. PB’s 131 MPs fall short of the 160 votes required, while CC and DB, with 37 MPs combined, seek support for four candidates.
The site adds that an agreement must address the governing party’s nominees, beyond distributing seats. “We conducted a comprehensive, clean and complete hearing,” DB Floor Leader Nadejda Iordanova said after the committee hearings. A parliamentary vote is expected later in November, with no date fixed, Mediapool.bg reports.
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Dnevnik reports that DB MP Atanas Atanassov says SJC candidates were taken to Radev’s office to demonstrate loyalty. The candidates he questioned denied meeting Radev.
The daily adds that DB will assess the hearings and information about possible dependencies before deciding how to vote.
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BNR reported Movement 21 leader Tatyana Doncheva’s allegation that former prosecutor general Sotir Tsatsarov could control the prosecution from behind the scenes, with Minister of Interior Ivan Demerdzhiev contesting that influence. She linked the alleged rivalry to Masonic networks; the report provided no evidence establishing those claims.
“Tsatsarov cannot lead this process,” Doncheva said of judicial reform. She said the votes for a new SJC could be assembled through bargaining, but dismantling entrenched influence required sustained work and credible appointments.
HOME AFFAIRS
Trud writes that Demerdzhiev says the budget cannot currently support higher police pay, despite employees deserving an increase. “We will not cut uniformed police officers,” Demerdzhiev said, pointing to potential administrative savings.
The daily adds that the Trade Union Federation of the Employees in the Ministry of Interior seeks an increase in line with other public sectors and does not rule out industrial action. The union says employees should not bear the cost of the state’s fiscal problems.
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Nova TV reported that police had identified some of the minors filmed riding electric scooters and motorcycles dangerously along Sofia’s Bulgaria Boulevard on Saturday and had summoned them with their parents.
“What struck me most was the dangerous riding,” Bulgarian Association for Electromobility Chair Vladislav Stoitsov said. The TV added that road-safety representatives sought stronger enforcement and greater parental involvement.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
24 Chasa reports that Hristov says the Government will identify those responsible for drone attacks on five ships near Bulgaria only when it has evidence. “We will definitely not conceal the truth about the attacks,” Hristov said.
The daily reports that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is due to meet Radev on Tuesday over the Black Sea attacks. Trud adds that Demerdzhiev expects further drone incidents and says Bulgaria has sought international support while deploying new equipment to protect the maritime border and strategic sites.
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Dnevnik writes that historian Alexander Stoyanov sees Bulgaria’s EU and NATO membership as useful to Russian influence. “Bulgaria is useful to Russia where it is now, in the European Union and NATO,” Stoyanov said.
The daily adds that he sees Moscow’s objective as weakening European institutions through political allies and criticizes the Government’s reassuring rhetoric about the war.
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Mediapool.bg writes that Greek media question the agreement linking religious relics returned from Bulgaria with the transfer of Tsar Samuil’s remains. The reports question whether ownership has passed permanently to Greece, with one outlet saying 53 objects remain registered as Bulgarian property.
The site adds criticism of the National Museum of History’s refusal to disclose details. “Strange and legally unjustified,” Access to Information Programme lawyer Alexander Kashumov said of the refusal, in comments cited by the Greek coverage.
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bTV reported that the trial of Bulgarian and North Macedonian citizen Iva Mihaylova was due to continue in her absence in Kocani on Monday over a fatal road collision in October 2025. Two defence assessments were expected to challenge the prosecution’s account of which vehicle crossed into the opposing lane; Mihaylova remained in Bulgaria for treatment.
BNT added that Mihaylova had requested participation by video link and said she had suffered lasting health problems after being denied rehabilitation. “When I identified myself as Bulgarian, all the harassment began,” Mihaylova said, referring to alleged police surveillance and repeated searches. Her request to join the hearing remained pending, the TV reported.
HEALTHCARE
BNT reported that deaths involving fentanyl had increased sharply over three years, while drug-related incidents were becoming more common in Plovdiv. Psychologists said illegally sold products presented as other medicines could contain fentanyl.
“The age threshold is falling,” psychologist Dobrina Yovcheva said. The TV added that prevention increasingly included children in the first four school grades and their parents.
EDUCATION
Capital writes that roughly half of vocational school pupils train for occupations that do not match employers’ needs, while more than 80% of employers struggle to recruit qualified staff. An Institute for Market Economics study scores the alignment between vocational education and the economy at 54.4 out of 100.
“Graduates of vocational schools have some basic theoretical knowledge but do not know how to apply it in a real work situation,” Bulgarian Industrial Association expert Tomcho Tomov said. The weekly adds that outdated equipment compounds the mismatch; broader occupational programmes and more training combining school and workplace learning are planned, Capital reports.
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Dnevnik writes that unemployment among recent bachelor’s graduates ranges from zero to 8.33%, showing that both subject and institution affect job prospects. The university rankings put average unemployment among bachelor’s graduates at 2.36%, below the national rate of 3.5%.
The daily adds that biotechnology graduates from the University of Ruse have an unemployment rate of 8.33%, compared with 1.21% among those from Sofia University.
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Capital reports that BTA’s Daily News senior editor, AI geek, conference interpreter and author of this Media Review Kaloyan Kirilov says artificial intelligence can speed up routine tasks and research, while creating risks when fluent output is accepted without checking. He identifies pressure for shorter deadlines and lower fees and says translators remain responsible for the work they deliver.
“Pressing Enter is not a language qualification,” Kirilov said. The weekly adds that he favours practical training and mentoring to help newcomers develop independent judgement, alongside clear procedures for reviewing translations and protecting confidential information.
ENVIRONMENT
24 Chasa writes that experts see no clear evidence of substantial disruption to bird migration from Black Sea drones, although local disturbance remains possible. “But this is a hypothesis; there are no studies on the subject,” Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds expert Mihail Iliev said.
The daily adds that fishing faces disruption from safety alerts, wreckage and possible pollution. The next national waterbird count is planned for January, it reports.
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BNR reported that research into atmospheric moisture transport could improve flood warnings in Bulgaria. Sofia University meteorologist Guergana Guerova said the study examined data from 1994 to 2023.
The radio added that forecasting moisture transport could help identify flood risks earlier. “This can really help services take the appropriate preventive measures,” Guerova said.
SOCIETY
24 Chasa writes that interest in astrology prompts people to seek their exact birth time from the Civil Registration and Administrative Services General Directorate. The service has received 45 such requests in 2026, compared with 70 in 2025.
“My mother simply cannot remember what time I was born,” an unnamed reader said. The daily adds that municipalities hold the relevant records, although some older forms omit the time of birth.
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Telegraph writes that growing demand for hair and beard colouring is supporting barbershop expansion in large cities, with barbers estimating that one in four or five men over 35 seeks to conceal grey hair. The daily adds that prices have risen by 15%-20%, with grey-concealing treatments costing EUR 10 to EUR 25.
Businesses cite higher rents and imported product costs, while demand for hair transplants is also increasing, the daily reports.

Media Review: November 9 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-11-09 01:16:18

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BULGARIA NEWS – NEWS AGENCY 2009–2026 2026-11-09 01:16:18