Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Press Review

Photo: Maria Peeva

Bulgaria’s printed media accentuate on Thursday on the resignation of the newly-appointed Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Pavel Tenev. “The Bulgarian cabinet sacrifices a Deputy Minister in an attempt to avoid a Nazi scandal”, Sega daily frontpages a headline on May 18. Another tension related to staff appointments in Borissov 3 cabinet erupted after Premier Borissov appointed on Monday three Deputy Ministers from the quota of the United Patriots coalition. All three Deputy Ministers were appointed at the proposal of NFSB party headed by Deputy Premier Valeri Simeonov, the newspaper further informs. Some public discontent was shown towards Deputy Minister of Energy Krasimir Parvanov and Deputy Minister of Transport Angel Popov after their appointment. However, the biggest scandal was linked with the third Deputy Minister- Pavel Tenev. It turned out that nine years ago Tenev took a photo in Grevin Wax Museum in Paris where he poses next to wax figures of Nazis and makes a Nazi salute. Later, he published that photo on his Facebook profile. The photo was shared in the social networks and caused a massive wave of indignation in Bulgaria, Sega daily notes. Pavel Tenev’s profile was erased, but that photo remained in the social networks. 24 Chassa daily quotes Pavel Tenev who told BTV channel: “I am in complete knockdown. I did not expect that things would go this way. There is a humoristic element in most of my photos. Now, I realize that this photo is very inappropriate and does not reflect my essence.” Former Deputy Minister Tenev told Premier Borissov and Deputy Premier Simeonov that he was not a supporter of the Nazi ideology. Tenev also apologized to Borissov and Simeonov for spoiling the image of the new ruling coalition, 24 Chassa further informs. Standard daily quotes the Bulgarian Socialist Party: “We believe that a person who had the obscenity and the impudence to photo himself making a Nazi salute should not be part of the country’s government.” According to the socialist party, the scandal continued with the reaction of the country’s Deputy Premier Valeri Simeonov who defended Tenev with the absurd statement that when he was young he probably took funny photos in Buchenwald Nazi concentration camp.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov


Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Rumen Radev

President Radev: Europe should support the US’ efforts for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine

To insist on seeking a military settlement to the conflict in Ukraine is a losing venture. Europe should support the efforts of the US to find a better solution, said President Rumen Radev at the Chief of Defence Annual Conference in Sofia. At..

published on 2/25/25 2:34 PM
PM Rosen Zhelyazkov

PM Zhelyazkov reiterates no Bulgarian troops will be sent to Ukraine

“There is no change, Bulgarian troops are not going to be sent to Ukraine,” said PM Rosen Zhelyazkov in a comment about the meeting between US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House. “The institutions in..

published on 2/25/25 1:17 PM
Ministry of Defence building

Bulgaria to take part in common procurement of IRIS-T air defence systems and CAESAR howitzers

Bulgaria is to take part in common procurement procedures in the sphere of defence at an EU level, under projects for the acquisition of IRIS-T air defence systems and CAESAR self-propelled howitzers. The Ministry of Defence applied for and..

published on 2/25/25 1:04 PM