Dimitar A. Tsenov Academy of Economics – Svishtov and the Economic and Social Council (ESC) organized a joint roundtable on the topic “Financial, Economic, and Social Challenges Facing the Bulgarian Economy Amid Geopolitical Turbulence.”
The event was attended by ESC Chair Zornitsa Rusinova, Deputy Chair from the “Civil Society Organizations” group Bogomil Nikolov, ESC member and KNSB Vice President Ognyan Atanasov, ESC member from the “Podkrepa” Trade Union Confederation Valeri Apostolov, BCCI Chair Tsvetan Simeonov, the Rector of the University of National and World Economy, Assoc. Prof. Marin Marinov, as well as representatives of the academic community, the business sector, and various institutions.
In her remarks, Zornitsa Rusinova emphasized that the partnership between the ESC and the University of National and World Economy has been actively developing since the cooperation agreement was signed last year. She noted that the ESC brings together employers, labor unions, and civil society organizations, which enables the formulation of joint recommendations and positions on important economic and social issues.
“The questions you will ask today may spark new topics for us to work on together,” Rusinova noted. According to her, cooperation between the ESC and the academic community has great potential, including through the involvement of young people in public and expert debates.
During the forum, Bogomil Nikolov presented the “ESC Resolution on the Need for a Mechanism to Address the Imbalance in the European Electricity Market and the Persistently Exorbitant Prices in Southeast Europe.”
He noted that, as a result of the war in Ukraine and the lack of sufficient energy interconnectivity in the region, Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece are facing significant price pressure. “We drafted this resolution to draw attention to the need for European measures to address this systemic lack of interconnectivity,” Nikolov said.
According to the ESC, high electricity prices lead to inflationary pressure, a decline in business competitiveness, and negative social effects. The document proposes the creation of a permanent mechanism to address price imbalances in Europe.
Ognyan Atanasov presented key points from two other Council documents on price disparities in Europe’s electricity markets — challenges facing the Bulgarian industry and ways to overcome them, as well as the ESC’s position on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
He emphasized that while large industrial enterprises are prepared for the introduction of the mechanism, small and medium-sized enterprises remain particularly vulnerable. “Small and medium-sized enterprises, which make up the majority of the market, will bear the brunt if timely measures are not taken,” Atanasov warned.
Valeri Apostolov presented the analysis “Financing the Bulgarian Health Care System,” prepared by the ESC, which aims to outline the main imbalances and challenges facing the sector. According to him, the Bulgarian healthcare system is in a state of chronic financial imbalance, and healthcare spending in Bulgaria accounts for about 7% of GDP, placing Bulgaria among the most underfunded countries in the European Union.
Apostolov highlighted the high share of spending on medications and medical supplies, which account for nearly one-third of all healthcare expenditures—nearly twice the EU average. At the same time, funding for prevention and public health remains at only about 3%, which is among the lowest levels in the EU.
Among the main problems identified in the analysis are the indebtedness of healthcare facilities, the shortage of medical personnel, and administrative restrictions on the funding of activities by the Regional Health Insurance Funds. According to Apostolov, this creates a risk of restricting access to certain treatment pathways and directly affects the quality of medical services. One of the most serious problems is the out-of-pocket costs borne by patients, and some of them delay treatment or forgo it entirely.
During the discussion, the “ESC Resolution on the Multiannual Financial Framework 2028–2034” was also presented.
