Bulgaria: New Interim Government Ahead of Early Elections
President Iliana Yotova has formally nominated Andrey Gyurov, Deputy Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB), as Bulgaria’s caretaker Prime Minister. The handover of the caretaker government mandate is scheduled for Thursday, February 12, at 10:00 a.m., when Yotova will meet Gyurov at the presidency and task him with forming an interim cabinet under Article 99, paragraph 5 of the Constitution. Gyurov is one of five senior civil servants who had indicated their willingness to take on the caretaker prime minister role during presidential consultations, alongside Deputy Ombudswoman Maria Filipova, Audit Board Chair Dimitar Glavchev, and his deputies Margarita Nikolova and Silvia Kadreva.
Peace Council: only Bulgaria & Hungary from EU
The US president is currently announcing the ‘Peace Council.’ This involves the creation of a new international body called the ‘Board/Peace Council’ (in public discourse it has become known as the ‘Peace Council’ or ‘Board of Peace’), which is presented as a tool for peacemaking—initially focusing on Gaza—but will gradually expand as a ‘crisis management’ forum for other conflicts as well.
What the ‘Peace Council’ is – and why it raises suspicion
According to Reuters, Trump has sent invitations to around 60 countries, aiming for a body that ‘starts with Gaza’ and ‘expands’ to other fronts, while the same report mentions that permanent participation is expected for those who pay $1 billion and that Trump will be chairman for life.
The existence of a ‘ticket’ for a permanent seat (and at an amount that functions as a power filter rather than an equal contribution) is the first major source of European distrust: it turns the body into a closed club, favoring the ‘willing’ and the financially powerful, rather than a process of legitimacy through international treaties.
The second source of distrust is the political structure: in a Reuters report about Italy, it is mentioned that Rome considers participation in an organization ‘led solely by the U.S. president’ to be in conflict with the Italian constitutional principle requiring equal participation in international organizations. Italy’s argument encapsulates European concern: the ‘Council’ does not resemble a multilateral institution but rather a mechanism of American hegemony, where access, duration, and renewal of tenure (according to what has leaked about the draft charter) are directly linked to the central will of the U.S. president.
The third problem is institutional overlap. In a television excerpt/transcript from CNN (Situation Room), the ‘peace council’ already appears as a point of tension between Trump and Macron, with Trump escalating rhetoric and using trade threats in a domain that would ‘normally’ belong to diplomacy and collective security. This combination of ‘hard power’ (tariffs) with ‘peacemaking architecture’ (board) is the main warning sign for Brussels: it turns peacemaking into a tool of coercion.
Greece absent, as is the rest of the EU, except Hungary and Bulgaria
In Greek reporting, Athens appears aligned with general European reluctance. This is a strategic choice: due to geography and sovereignty issues, Greece has historically invested in strict adherence to International Law and the UN institutional framework.
This logic also underpins the statement by government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis regarding Greenland—that ‘we cannot play with issues of International Law.’
At the same time, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis ultimately misses Davos because his flight to Zurich was canceled due to severe weather, resulting in a cut program since he had to immediately travel to Brussels for the EU emergency summit.
Bulgaria still set to adopt the Euro despite massive protests
Bulgaria is still set to adopt the Euro on January 1, 2026, despite massive anti-government and anti-corruption protests that recently led to the Prime Minister’s resignation, though the political turmoil has created uncertainty and concerns about fair elections and potential delays, with some fearing inflation and Russian disinformation influencing the opposition. The country faces a government vacuum and upcoming early elections, but the Eurozone entry, a major EU step, remains legally on track, though public opinion is divided.
KEY POINTS:
- Euro Adoption: Bulgaria is scheduled to become the 21st Eurozone member on January 1, 2026, replacing its currency, the lev.
- Protests & Politics: Recent widespread protests, initially against a controversial budget plan, evolved into demands for resignation and fair elections, leading to the center-right government’s collapse.
- Reasons for Protests: Concerns include corruption, influence of oligarchs (like Delyan Peevski), and alleged election manipulation, with accusations of Russian social media campaigns fueling anti-Euro sentiment.
- Public Opinion: About half of Bulgarians oppose the Euro, fearing price hikes, though the European Central Bank suggests inflation impact will be modest.
- Current Situation: The country lacks a government and budget for 2026, with a caretaker government expected to be appointed, but Euro entry is considered legally irreversible
Bulgaria holds consultations for new government
The president, Rumen Radev, is holding consultations with parties, but if they refuse or fail to form the government, he will appoint an interim government and call a snap election.
Bulgaria, a NATO member state, has held seven national elections in the past four years as consecutive governments failed to keep control of a fractured parliament.
Kalina Yurukova, 21-year-old student, said: “If you steal constantly, you must think you are above everyone else. And for people who are arrogant and have not a shred of shame, I cannot have respect or associate myself with them.”
Earlier this month, the government withdrew its 2026 budget plan, the first drafted in euros, due to the mass protests. Opposition parties and other organisations said they were protesting against plans to hike social security contributions and taxes on dividends to finance higher state spending.
First Day of School in Bulgaria
Protests in Bulgaria Continue
Protests in solidarity with accused Varna mayor Blagomir Kotsev – seen by supporters as targeted because of his political affiliation with We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria – are continuing, with a large turnout in Sofia on July 18 and another protest scheduled for July 22.
The protests on July 18 in Sofia, Varna and Dobrich, the latest sparked by the actions by the anti-corruption commission and prosecutors against Kotsev and two others, were fuelled in particular by the appellate court July 17 decision to remand Kotsev in custody pending trial.
The July 18 protest, organised by WCC-DB – on whose ticket Kotsev won election as mayor in 2023, defeating incumbent Ivan Portnih from Boiko Borissov’s GERB, had the theme “You don’t have handcuffs for everyone”.
Kotsev is the latest in a series of politicians from WCC-DB to be targeted for prosecution. He and two municipal councillors are accused of participating in an organised crime group for corruption and money laundering.
On July 19, WCC-DB MP and former justice minister Atanas Slavov told Bulgarian National Television: “The case against Blagomir Kotsev is based on some form of political repression against the opposition”.
At national level, WCC-DB – the second-largest group in Parliament – is in opposition to the GERB-Bulgarian Socialist Party-ITN coalition, a ruling majority held in place by Magnitsky Act-sanctioned Delyan Peevski and his parliamentary group.
Slavov told BNT that there was a total lack of arguments for remanding Kotsev in custody. There is not a single piece of evidence pointing to corrupt action by the mayor of Varna, Slavov said.
He said that what the prosecution had presented in court did not justify this most severe measure.
“Our conclusion is clear – this is a form of political repression, selective, against the opposition,” he said.
“There is information that special intelligence means were used – the prosecution does not include these in the case, recordings are leaking about which it is not clear who made them – are they authentic, were they put together and most importantly – there is no proportionality. This is an abuse of procedural power,” Slavov said.
Kiril Petkov, former co-leader of WCC, told reporters on July 19 that at the previous night’s protest “they gave the same signal to him as he gave to them – 10 000 hearts”.
Bulgaria becomes 21st member to adopt euro
BRUSSELS (AFP) — EU ministers gave the final green light on Tuesday for Bulgaria to adopt the euro on Jan. 1, 2026, making it the single currency area’s 21st member.
Bulgaria’s switch from the lev to the euro comes nearly 19 years after the country of 6.4 million people joined the European Union.
“We did it!” Bulgarian Prime Minister Rossen Jeliazkov said.
“We thank all institutions, partners and everyone whose efforts made this landmark moment possible. The government remains committed to a smooth and effective transition to the euro in the interest of all citizens,” Jeliazkov said on X.
In adopting the legal texts necessary for the move, EU finance ministers officially set the euro at 1.95583 Bulgarian lev.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen and European Central Bank head Christine Lagarde congratulated Bulgaria after the ministers’ approval.
“We are delighted to welcome you,” Lagarde said.
“The euro will strengthen Bulgaria’s economy and bring big benefits for Bulgarian people and businesses,” von der Leyen said on X.
“Joining the euro area is much more than just about replacing lev with euro. It is about building a brighter and more prosperous future for Bulgaria and its citizens at the heart of Europe,” EU economy chief Valdis Dombrovskis said.
The European Commission last month said the EU’s poorest country had fulfilled the strict conditions to adopt the euro, while the ECB also gave a positive opinion.
Mixed feelings
Bulgaria’s journey to joining the eurozone has had a stormy political backdrop with seven elections in three years — the last in October 2024.
But recent polls show Bulgarian society remains divided on the euro, with experts attributing the skepticism largely to fears of rising prices and declining purchasing power.
President Rumen Radev shocked many when he proposed holding a referendum on the matter but that was given short shrift by the Bulgarian Parliament.
Since June, protesters have gathered in Sofia to call for “keeping the Bulgarian lev.” A symbolic protest camp with several tents has been set up near the presidency and the Bulgarian National Bank in the capital.
Proponents in Bulgaria, however, insist the move will help improve the country’s economy, and reinforce its ties to the West and protect against Russia’s influence.
“The political benefits are becoming increasingly significant, as the protests against the euro seem to bear the mark of the Kremlin,” 43-year-old musician Veselin Dimitrov told AFP in Sofia.
Euro club gets bigger
The green light comes as the euro has been gaining in value against the U.S. dollar as President Donald Trump’s protectionist trade policies shake trust in the U.S. currency.
Only 12 countries were part of the single currency area — including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Greece — when the first euro bills and coins were rolled out on Jan. 1, 2002.
It gradually widened with Slovenia joining in 2007, Cyprus and Malta in 2008, Slovakia in 2009, Estonia in 2011, Latvia in 2014 then Lithuania in 2015.
Croatia was the last country to join in 2023, bringing the total to 20.
Bulgaria wanted to adopt the euro sooner but Brussels judged its inflation was too high to meet the necessary criteria.
EU states that want to join the single currency area must demonstrate that their economy has converged with other eurozone countries and that they are focused on sound public spending.
The conditions include holding inflation to no more than 1.5 percentage points higher than the rate of the three best-performing EU countries.
Thousands protest in Bulgaria against the Euro
Church of God Holds Two Parallel National Assemblies in Bulgaria
Above Dr. David Kemp speaking on National Assembly in Sliven, Bulgaria (March 29, 2025)
Below Dr. Tom Rosson speaking on National Assembly in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria (March 29, 2025)
The Bulgarian Church of God has split in no less than 10 since the early 2000s as following:
- Bulgarian Church of God (27.12.1990)
- Church of God in Bulgaria (23.01.2006)
- God’s Church (13938/2006: 07.02.2007)
- Church of God-12 (Sofia, Rodostono)
- New Generation Church of God (05.04.2000)
- Bethesda Church of God (27.12.2010)
- BulLiv Church of God (15.01.2000)
- New Life Church of God (06.11.2000)
- Bulgarian Church of God – Sofia (4996/2003 Sredetz, E.Georgiev Bul. 2, apt. 4)
- Bridge Church of God (50/2013)
CIA Report: STATUS OF THE PROTESTANTS IN BULGARIA
https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/cia-rdp82-00457r006100810004-5
STATUS OF THE PROTESTANTS IN BULGARIA
Document Type:
Collection:
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST):
CIA-RDP82-00457R006100810004-5
Release Decision:
RIPPUB
Original Classification:
S
Document Page Count:
2
Document Creation Date:
December 14, 2016
Document Release Date:
March 23, 2001
Sequence Number:
4
Case Number:
Publication Date:
November 3, 1950
Content Type:
REPORT
File:
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
 CIA-RDP82-00457R006100810004-5.pdf |
134.43 KB |
Body:
st;~~1~ d E a _ . ~ : 3 4`ii152’S U 0’1` Approved For ReleaJ~40j~11,L dR~l8F0061 ~01 CODUNTP i SUBJECT Bulgaria Status of the Protestants in Bulgaria 25X1A CD NO. 25X1A I NO., CASE DISTR.. 3 1T()V 50 NO, OF PAGES 2 NO. OF ENCLS. (LISTED BELOW SUPPLEMENT TO REPORT NO. 25X1X 1,, For a short time after 9 September 1944 the Protestants in Bulgaria enjoyed religious freedom. Belief in God, though rejected by Communism was tolerated in the country. In 1948 the Congregational Church services were regularly attended by an increased number of people. This was also true of other denominations,, 2,, After the trial of the 15 pastors early in 1949,,.# Protestants were labeled traitors,. spies, and instruments of the western capitalists. Much publicity was given by the Government accusing the Protestants of betraying their country. 3. Following the trial many churches remained without pastors. In some places laymen started preaching. In other places churches were closed by the local authorities and services forbidden. Source has been told that the Church of Mericr,lery is now being used for a Communist Party club, Many people were frightened and preferred not to go to church. There were instances when -people were warned not to go to church. Comparing the Sofia cI’-urches and those in the provinces,, the province churches suffered more losses of pastors and laymen. The Government authorities can exercise greater supervision and pressure in smaller communities, The Protestants in Sofia, therefore, enjoyed greater freedom in that no church was officially closed and people were free to go to church. 4. In November 1948 the editor of the only Protestant newspaper Zornitza was arrested and as of August 1950 was still in a labor camp without having been tried by a court or officially sentenced. 5. A printing house has just recently been taken over for use by the Committee for sciences Art,, and Culture,, 6, Following the trial of the pastors, many other Protestants were detained for a certain period of time by the militia authorities and others are still In labor carps. Many of the most ardent members of the Methodist Church in Sofia are either imprisoned or in labor camps, and their families have been ordered to leave Sofia, CLASSIFICATION 9PCffT/C0TZ-TR0L STATE NAVY NSRB DISTRIBUTION ARf`; ~~ Ain FBI Approved For Release 2001/04/13 : CIA-RDP82-00457R006100810004-5 Approved For Release 2001/04/13 : CIA-RDP82-00457R006100810004-5 8T/CONTROL – U. S. OFFICIALS ONLY CEP
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