Everyone must be going mad. Yes, we know you are following the news and we won't bore you with our musings about the current state of global politics. Instead, we will focus on one of the most persistent yet deeply ignored public health crises in Bulgaria - the mental health one.
If you follow Bulgarian media, you might have noticed that in recent weeks a series of incidents has shocked the public. On 1 February, a mother slaughtered her children in the village of Vakarel near Sofia. On February 4, a woman with paranoid schizophrenia stabbed three people in downtown Sofia, On February 6, a man who had been trying to throw himself in front of cars for several days in a row, finally managed to commit suicide - after no psychiatrist ward would hospitalize him. On 10 February a mentally ill man threatened locals and police officers with samurai swords in a village in Pazardzhik, and the same day in Veliko Tarnovo citizens complained that a woman with mental health problems was walking around the neighborhood armed with a knife.
These stories might be taken as individual tragedies, which sometimes engender sympathy for the victims, but more often - animosity towards the mentally ill. But these incidents, which have grown in frequency, are also part of a pattern of negligence towards the sufferers.
Experts have warned for years that psychiatric treatment and support in Bulgaria are teetering on the brink. Both are systematically underfunded, with a critical shortage of psychiatrists and medical staff, appalling conditions in psychiatric units, and, most of all, a lack of facilities for outpatient follow-up and treatment. Additionally, there are insufficient social support institutions that would allow people with mental disorders to adapt to socialization and a more normal life.
Bulgaria is the only member state of the Council of Europe for which the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) issued an official statement in 2021 on the poor conditions in psychiatric institutions - including ill-treatment and physical abuse by staff, immobilizations and isolation for long periods, overcrowding, lack of staff, and treatment with medication alone without any other therapies. The Bulgarian authorities' approach - merely providing patients with food and shelter but no accompanying treatment - is woefully inadequate, the organization has said.
In most of these cases, and indeed other ones, we are talking of people who have shown clear signs of mental illness for a long time. Politicians and society always react by searching for a culprit for the patient being at large, left without care and treatment. However, the real 'culprit' is the systemic, decades-long failure of state policy to care for the mentally ill.
This should start with more money for mental health services - currently, only 106 million levs out of the 9.5 billion planned for healthcare - go towards this type of treatment. Secondly, this money needs to be carefully targeted - both for keeping qualified doctors in Bulgaria (most professionals go to the West, where their labor is better paid - and appreciated) and for repairing decrepit psychiatric wards. Also, these conditions, often chronic and longstanding, need to be addressed with a considered long-term strategy.
Last, but not least - Bulgarians should stop pretending that mental illness does not exist or that they will never fall victim to it. The stigma needs to go - at least now we know for sure that the whole world is going mad, so it's nothing to be ashamed about!
Politics this week:
A month after the government, a governance program appearsA little more than a month after the Zhelyazkov cabinet was formed, GERB, BSP, TISP and MRF (Dogan) finally have a draft government program for a full four-year mandate. The document of more than 90 pages was discussed in the Council for Joint Governance on Tuesday (18 February) and reached the media soon after.
It contains a doubtless well-intentioned wish list for Bulgaria - from joining the eurozone (although some may dispute whether this is desirable) through the return to "prudent fiscal management" (see more of that below), the termination of the US entry visa scheme, the country's removal from the gray list for money laundering, the accelerated implementation of the Recovery and Sustainability Plan, to joining the OECD. The reality and good intentions in the document, of course, do not always coincide.
We will dive deeper into the program next week, but key plans include:
- Completing key energy projects like Kozloduy's VII and VIII blocks and repairing the Chaira Hydro Power Plant;
- Expanding defense spending to 2,5% (still below the 3% goal discussed by the EU);
- Anti-SLAPP bill and the final passing of laws on lobbying and personal bankruptcy;
- A total of 125 kilometers of new roads and highways, including parts of the Hemus highway, finishing Struma highway, starting the Ruse-Byala highway and kick-starting a new Danube bridge and Shipka tunnel projects.
BSP has a new leader
The interim head of the Socialists Atanas Zafirov was selected as the regular president of the party by its congress, overtaking his right hand Borislav Gutsanov. The contest did not cause any tension because both of them defended the line that the BSP should stay in power - whatever the cost.
Zafirov enjoys the support of Kiril Dobrev, who returned triumphantly to the BSP after the removal of Kornelia Ninova. Ninova herself was also elected party president thanks to the latter, but then there was a rift between them. Zafirov, on the other hand, was one of the closest to Ninova. His star rose when she tried to surround herself with obedient politicians from the third echelon, ensuring that they would support her decisions. As so often happens in the BSP - those closest to the president target the top job.
Economy:
Last few steps to the euroBulgaria will request an extraordinary assessment and is on track to join the eurozone in 2026, after Finance Minister Temenuzhka Petkova received preliminary positive signals from the leadership of the Eurogroup and ECB this week. The draft budget for 2025 has reportedly been accepted as convincing by the Eurogroup, but it contains risks for fiscal stability as it relies on optimistic tax revenue projections, which could lead to the need for an urgent adjustment. Even if the inflation criterion is met, further work is needed to join the euro area, including legislative changes, business support and preparation of government institutions. Read more about thе race to the euro in this week's piece.
The Zhelyazkov cabinet's draft budget 2025: Repeating Glavchev's mistakes
We really wanted to stabilize the state finances, but we couldn't. This is how the second attempt at the 2025 budget, presented by the Zhelyazkov cabinet, can best be described in brief. It contains almost the same unbelievable figures as in the draft of the caretaker cabinet and effectively repeats the same pattern - a huge increase in expenditure and very vague sources of revenues to cover them. Formally, the government fits into a 3% of GDP deficit - both on a cash and accrual basis (the one Brussels is looking at). Spending is also capped at 40% of GDP, but without EU funds factored in. But a closer look at the income side shows serious issues. More on this - next week in KInsights.
Figures:
2400 levsThe median wage for Q4 of 2024 - a 13.7% increase compared to the previous quarter. In Sofia, the sum is just under 3300 levs.
9.452 billion levs
Is the sum dedicated to healthcare in the new draft budget of the National Health Insurance Fund.
Business:
M&A Haemimont GamesThe biggest and most successful Bulgarian game developer - Haemimont Games, has a new owner - the Swedish Paradox Interactive. The studio, which currently works on four games, will remain a separate entity with its own projects.
Marketing
OgilvyThe year started with changes to the largest communications group in Bulgaria. Ogilvy Group used to carry the name of one of the creative agencies in its portfolio, but has now rebranded to OM Group. In parallel, the company announced the creation of a new advertising agency, Much Better, which focuses on communication to the female audience.
Engineering
Elektra Trans GlobalThe largest Bulgarian company for technical maintenance of civil aircraft is planning on investing 120 million levs and creating 1,500 jobs by building one of the largest aircraft maintenance hangars with 7 lines at Burgas Airport with adjacent apron, workshops, training center, offices, parking and other facilities.
Auto parts
AD Auto TotalRomania's auto parts leader wants to enter Bulgaria by acquiring the local player Auto Hit, according to a notification submitted to the Commission for Protection of Competition (CPC) by the Romanian company..
Watch out for:
People: Viktor AntonovOn Sunday, fans of legendary computer game titles like Half-Life 2 and Dishonored learned the news of the untimely death of the man who created the incredible (and native) Eastern European atmosphere of both titles. Bulgarian visual artist and designer Viktor Antonov, who passed away at the age of 52, was known mostly by dedicated PC game fans in Bulgaria, but was very popular in game circles internationally. Antonov left Bulgaria for Paris at the dawn of the democratic transition and then moved to the US, where he launched a highly successful career in the early days of mass PC gaming, partaking in the creation of cult titles such as Quake 2, Kingpin, the high point of his career - Half-Life 2, Wolfenstein: New Order, Doom (2016) and many, many more. May he rest in peace!
Vasil Golemanski
GERB nominated the long-standing director of the Bulgarian Stock Exchange as chairman of the Financial Supervision Commission (FSC). As the deadline for nominations expired and there are no other nominations, it seems that Golemanski will head one of Bulgaria's most important regulators. Most of his professional career has been spent at the Bulgarian Stock Exchange and the Central Depository, where he was Executive Director from 2010 to 2018 and Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors from 2010 to the present. From 2011 to the present he has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Central Depository and since 2012 he has been its Executive Director.
Company:
Flair
The family-owned, Dimitrovgrad-based sportswear company of Aldin Kremenov was launched in the 1990s to make indentured products, but grew into a brand of its own in 2006. Today, it has more than 80 shops in 60 towns across Bulgaria, records revenues of 12 million levs and produces sportswear worthy of the Bulgarian Olympic team. Its successful business model revolves around targeting smaller towns, where it can easily outcompete international brands.
"I am responding to US Vice President JD Vance - Bulgaria has kept its borders, has zero illegal migration and has resisted the migrant pressure. We have resisted the ideology of "he, she and it" being introduced into the school process despite enormous pressure. We have preserved the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and its unity. We were under pressure to adopt the Romanian model that broke Romania. Thanks to GERB with its right-wing, conservative and Christian principles, the country was saved." - Boyko Borissov, GERB leader, in a public statement recorded for Facebook.
Everyone must be going mad. Yes, we know you are following the news and we won't bore you with our musings about the current state of global politics. Instead, we will focus on one of the most persistent yet deeply ignored public health crises in Bulgaria - the mental health one.
If you follow Bulgarian media, you might have noticed that in recent weeks a series of incidents has shocked the public. On 1 February, a mother slaughtered her children in the village of Vakarel near Sofia. On February 4, a woman with paranoid schizophrenia stabbed three people in downtown Sofia, On February 6, a man who had been trying to throw himself in front of cars for several days in a row, finally managed to commit suicide - after no psychiatrist ward would hospitalize him. On 10 February a mentally ill man threatened locals and police officers with samurai swords in a village in Pazardzhik, and the same day in Veliko Tarnovo citizens complained that a woman with mental health problems was walking around the neighborhood armed with a knife.
