Bulgarian political opposition criticisms of government

Ivaylo Mirchev, co-chairman of the ‘Da, Bulgaria’ political formation, has leveled various criticisms against the Bulgarian government and state institutions regarding corruption, economic issues, and national security.

Initially, Mirchev criticized the government for failing to dismantle the ‘Borisov-Peevski’ political model and for rising fuel costs. He highlighted that diesel and gasoline prices in Bulgaria are comparable to or higher than the European average and questioned the pricing of Iraqi crude oil at the Lukoil Neftohim Burgas refinery. To assist households, his party proposed a state compensation of 20 euro cents per liter of fuel.

Subsequently, Mirchev expanded his criticisms to include national security and presidential conduct. He accused President Iliana Yotova of using a dishonest political campaign and criticized a past decision to pardon a drug trafficker. Additionally, he accused the administration of being passive regarding Russian hybrid threats, such as drone strikes in the Black Sea and the destruction of Starlink antennas, noting that Bulgaria has not aligned with the European Council’s position on these incidents.