HEADLINES
Bulgarian media on Tuesday focus on the presidential election, prices and the economy, healthcare and public safety. Polling and expectations of a runoff in the presidential race receive considerable attention across print and broadcast media, while economic coverage centres on fuel and food prices, the budget and taxation. Other prominent topics include an investigation into alleged abuse of National Health Insurance Fund resources in Plovdiv, problems with the supply of flu vaccines, road safety and incidents in the Black Sea.
24 Chasa’s main front-page story is headlined “EUR 3,579 for a Personalised Car Registration Number in Bulgaria – Most Expensive in Europe”. Trud leads with “Brussels to Add 20 Cents to Fuel Prices”, while Telegraph reports on its own survey under the headline “Lyutenitsa 40 Cents More Expensive”.
Among the main interviews, 24 Chasa talks to Transport Minister Georgi Peev, who says Romania is recognising the need for new bridges across the Danube and argues that additional crossings would help guarantee security in the region. Trud interviews Prof. Zdravko Popov about what he describes as radical changes in Germany and their potential consequences for Europe. Telegraph talks to military pilot Radostin Pavlov from Dolna Mitropolia, who warns that Bulgaria risks having to ground its training aircraft by 2030.
The leading analyses cover politics, Sofia’s dominance as the country’s economic and administrative centre, and road safety. 24 Chasa publishes an analysis by former president Petar Stoyanov headlined “The Lie about the Lost Elections”; Trud carries “Whether You Like It or Not, You Eventually Come to Sofia!”; and Telegraph’s analysis, “Talking Alone Is Not Enough for the Crash Barriers”, focuses on road infrastructure.
The presidential election is prominent on the inside pages, with 24 Chasa reporting that Iliana Iotova has a two-to-one lead over Andrey Gurov and predicting a certain runoff, while Telegraph cites an Alpha Research poll suggesting that only 2.4 million voters will go to the polls. Healthcare is another major topic: 24 Chasa reports on the arrest of a university hospital dean and nine other people in Plovdiv over an alleged EUR 5 million scheme involving fictitious patients, while Trud describes the supply of flu vaccines as a “complete failure”. Trud also reports on a charge related to building renovation that it says will be incorporated into fuel prices, while Telegraph covers the dismissal of a road official over dangerous crash barriers.
Tuesday’s broadcast media have a more varied agenda, with the presidential election, the economy and fuel prices, health and public safety among the recurring topics. The presidential race receives particular attention following the emergence of the Iotova-Valchev and Gurov-Kandev tickets, while economic coverage includes the budget deficit, fuel prices and proposed taxation of business. Other topics include a ship incident in the Black Sea, bomb threats, healthcare and relations with North Macedonia.
Bulgarian National Television (BNT) discusses proposed taxation of excess corporate profits, with Bulgarian Chamber of Mining and Geology Chair Nikolay Valkanov arguing that the measure amounts to extraordinary taxation of successful businesses rather than a windfall tax. Political coverage includes sociologist Parvan Simeonov’s assessment of polarisation reflected in the leading positions in the presidential race. BNT also reports on ten people detained in an operation against alleged draining of the National Health Insurance Fund in Plovdiv and on a ship that sank following a fire in the Black Sea. Other coverage marks 1,012 years since the death of Tsar Samuel and includes the premiere of the sixth season of the Bulgarian TV series Undercover.
bTV also reports on the vessel drifting off the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, focusing on the potential pollution risk. Its morning programme discusses bomb threats received in Bulgaria, the investigation into a killing in Plovdiv, opposition to the ban on gambling advertising over its possible impact on sports financing, and the situation in North Macedonia.
Nova TV focuses prominently on the presidential election, examining the arguments of the Iotova-Valchev and Gurov-Kandev campaign teams and discussing expectations for voter turnout in a possible runoff. Other reports include warnings that flu vaccines may not reach pharmacies until January 2027 and the case involving a doctor who allegedly used ChatGPT to search for information on bringing a patient out of anaesthesia.
Bulgarian National Radio’s (BNR) morning interviews have a strong economic and health focus. Economist Petar Ganev discusses the prospects of bringing the budget deficit down to 3% next year, while another interview examines fuel prices, with the assessment that their peak has passed and a gradual decline is expected. Health topics include heart attacks among younger people, the use of immunostimulants and tumour profiling as a means of providing more precise and effective treatment.
Online outlet Mediapool, meanwhile, carries an article based on the account of a former GERB member about the inner workings of the party, including allegations concerning internal conflicts, negative publicity campaigns and political intrigue.
POLITICS
The presidential election campaign is a major political topic on Tuesday, with 24 Chasa publishing a Trend poll showing a substantial lead for the Iliana Iotova-Kiril Valchev ticket over Andrey Gurov-Georgi Kandev and pointing to a runoff. The poll, already reported by BTA, also indicates relatively low expected voter turnout.
Nova TV discusses both the polling and the differences between the two leading tickets. Trend sociologist Dimitar Ganev says a runoff between Iotova and Gurov appears highly likely and expects turnout to fall further in a second round, potentially to below two million voters. Evelina Slavkova of the same agency similarly points to low mobilisation as the reason a runoff is effectively certain, while cautioning that the current figures represent a snapshot rather than a forecast of the final result.
In a separate Nova TV discussion, representatives of the two leading tickets clash over their candidates’ political experience and foreign-policy outlook. Krasimir Karakachanov, a member of the initiative committee backing Iotova and Valchev, argues that their ticket offers greater political and European experience, while Radoslav Bimbalov, representing the committee behind Gurov and Kandev, says an electoral surprise remains possible and frames the choice as one between returning to the past and moving forward. Their differences also extend to approaches to the war in Ukraine and the controversy surrounding the presidential pardon of Ognyan Atanasov, known as the “Petrich Escobar” and convicted of serious crimes.
BNT, meanwhile, discusses a separate Myara poll with sociologist Parvan Simeonov. The survey points to turnout of around 35%-40%, or some 2.3 million voters. Simeonov says the comparatively low mobilisation could favour candidates with firm party electorates over those relying on a broader electoral periphery. He also identifies a growing polarisation around the two leading candidates, which he says could concentrate votes at the top of the race, encourage protest voting against one of the frontrunners and have broader consequences for Bulgaria’s party system.
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Mediapool reports on allegations by Vanesa Filipova, a former GERB member in the party’s Bankya organisation (branch in Sofia), who recently left the party after three and a half years. Filipova alleges that decisions within GERB are increasingly made by a small circle rather than through its internal structures and describes pressure on members who question personnel decisions.
Filipova focuses much of her criticism on Vanina Koleva, a former GERB communications official whom she describes as an influential figure in the party’s Sofia structures. She alleges that a company linked to Koleva and other people close to GERB operates a network of social media pages used to attack particular individuals, and says she herself had been instructed to write negative comments about specific people. Filipova also claims that members have faced psychological and professional pressure and that questions addressed to GERB leader Boyko Borissov at party meetings are coordinated in advance.
According to Filipova, her decision to leave was ultimately prompted by personnel decisions in GERB’s Bankya organisation which she says disregarded the party’s internal rules and local structures. She said she had originally joined GERB at the age of 19 out of “pure idealism”, but decided to leave after refusing to participate in practices she considered incompatible with her values. Mediapool notes that her allegations come amid public discussion about changes within GERB and Borissov’s efforts to bring “new minds” into the party.
ECONOMY
Fuel prices are a prominent economic topic on Tuesday, with Trud focusing on the potential impact of EU climate and energy policies on future prices, while Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) reports that the recent market-driven fuel price spike appears to have passed.
Trud leads with the expected inclusion of road transport and building-heating fuels in the EU’s emissions trading system from 2028. Bulgarian Petroleum and Gas Association Chair Svetoslav Benchev estimates that the measure could initially add around EUR 0.18-0.20 per litre to petrol and diesel prices. Representatives of Bulgaria, Czechia, Greece, Poland, Romania and Slovakia are due to meet in Sofia and adopt a joint declaration seeking changes to EU policies on the green transition. According to the daily, the participating countries argue that the measures could generate additional inflation and disproportionately affect Central and Eastern European economies, where alternatives to conventional fuels are less developed.
The newspaper separately reports that another measure under preparation could add between EUR 0.015 and EUR 0.03 per litre to fuel prices from 2027. The proceeds would go to Bulgaria’s National Decarbonisation Fund and be used for energy-efficiency measures, including the renovation of residential buildings and measures in transport. Trud also examines EU requirements concerning renewable energy in transport, sustainable aviation fuels and methane emissions, presenting concerns from the petroleum industry about their feasibility and potential impact on costs.
BNR, meanwhile, focuses on the shorter-term outlook. Dimitar Hadzhidimitrov of the Association of Bulgarian Fuel Traders, Producers, Importers and Transporters says the fuel-price peak reached around two weeks ago has passed and expects prices to decline gradually as supply conditions stabilize. He attributes the easing primarily to the restoration of close to 90% of oil and petroleum-product transit capacity through the Strait of Hormuz. Hadzhidimitrov expects current levels to persist for roughly another month before prices begin moving lower, and says there is sufficient oil supply and no indication of an impending shortage.
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Business taxation and the budget are also discussed by BNT and BNR, with commentators questioning the proposed windfall-profit tax and its role in addressing Bulgaria’s fiscal imbalance.
On BNT, Association for Modern Trade Executive Director Nikolay Valkanov argues that the proposed measure should not be described as a windfall-profit tax. He contrasts it with the exceptional taxation of energy companies introduced after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, when extraordinary market conditions generated unusually high profits, and describes the current proposal instead as extraordinary taxation of successful businesses whose profits have increased through investment and expansion. Valkanov warns that the measure could create a precedent for a broader increase in the tax burden and potentially feed into consumer prices.
Speaking on BNR, Institute for Market Economics senior researcher Petar Ganev similarly argues that one-off revenue measures, including windfall-profit taxation, cannot resolve the budget deficit and says fiscal consolidation will have to focus primarily on expenditure. While the 2026 budget provides for a deficit of 5.7%, Ganev expects the actual figure to be closer to the European Commission’s earlier projection of 4.2%. He says Bulgaria has the conditions to reduce the deficit to 3% next year and relatively quickly exit the excessive deficit procedure, although this would have to be demonstrated through actual budget implementation rather than targets alone.
Ganev also warns that repeatedly imposing exceptional taxes on individual sectors creates uncertainty for businesses. On the broader economic outlook, he points to risks of slightly weaker growth and higher inflation, arguing that domestic demand is also contributing to price pressures, particularly in services.
HEALTHCARE
Delays in the supply of seasonal flu vaccines receive considerable attention in Tuesday’s media, with Trud reporting growing waiting lists and Nova TV warning that some vaccines may not reach Bulgarian pharmacies until January. Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) discusses the approaching flu season, vaccination and the use of immunostimulants.
Trud reports that waiting lists for flu vaccines at pharmacies are growing, while GPs are receiving calls from elderly patients asking when supplies will arrive. Bulgaria has meanwhile registered its first case of influenza A(H3N2) this season, in a 20-year-old woman hospitalized in Sofia. Resigned Chief State Health Inspector Angel Kunchev says the delay in injectable vaccines is not unique to Bulgaria and is related to changes in the vaccine composition for the current season. He says October, November and even December remain appropriate for vaccination, although protection takes around three weeks to develop and supplies may not be sufficient to meet growing demand.
Speaking on Nova TV, Association of Pharmacy Owners Chair Nikolay Kostov warns that some flu vaccines intended for pharmacies could be delayed until January, which would greatly reduce their usefulness for the current season. He says production difficulties affect several European countries and are linked to the selection and modification of the H3N2 influenza A strain, while lower-than-expected production yields could further restrict supplies. Bulgaria has ordered around 180,000 doses for sale through pharmacies, while vaccines under the national programme for people aged over 65 may also arrive in smaller quantities than planned.
BNR talks to virologist Prof. Radostina Alexandrova, who says occasional flu cases at this time of year are normal, with infections generally becoming more frequent in December. She cautions against assuming that an unusually severe season lies ahead but stresses that vaccination remains the best available means of reducing the risk of severe illness and complications. Alexandrova also advises against taking immunostimulants without medical guidance, describing the immune system as finely balanced and recommending consultation with a doctor or pharmacist before using such products.
Media Review: October 6 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-10-06 10:35:31
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