Bulgaria MP says sanctions and EU policy are hurting economy

Bulgarian lawmaker Angel Georgiev has said that sanctions against Russia and the European Commission’s policies are depriving Bulgaria of cheaper electricity and wider economic benefits. Speaking in an interview with TASS, the National Assembly member argued that Bulgaria could become a bridge between East and West and a regional hub for trade and logistics, but said those prospects are being blocked by what he described as misguided EU decisions.

Georgiev said Bulgaria’s power prices are higher than they should be because of the European Commission’s green policy and anti-Russian sanctions. He pointed to the unfinished Belene nuclear power plant on the Danube River, saying it began as a Russian project and should be completed with Russian technology to provide low-cost electricity. He also said previous Bulgarian governments chose to replace the planned Russian reactors with American ones at great expense.

The MP said Bulgaria should also expand its nuclear capacity at the Kozloduy plant, which was originally built by Soviet specialists. He said four of the plant’s six units were shut down to meet EU accession requirements and that the country should now seek to restore additional capacity. Georgiev argued that the government has the authority to reopen dialogue with Russia but has not done so.

He also linked Bulgaria’s situation to broader regional trends, saying Cyprus had suffered from fewer Russian tourists and that this was hurting local tourism. His comments came as he urged what he described as a change in course, claiming voters had backed his camp in hopes of such a shift.