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

Miners block centre of Sofia 

Photo: BGNES

Thousands of miners and energy workers, members of the two main trade unions, the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) and the trade union "Podkrepa", gathered in the area between the buildings of the National Assembly and the Council of Ministers. 

The demonstrators demanded that Parliament vote to postpone the liberalisation of the household electricity market for at least another three years - from 2026 to 2029. 

"I work at the Thermal Power Plant 'Bobov Dol'. If they close the coal mines, they will close the TPPs. I don't know where we will go, we have no alternatives. The first 160 people have already been laid off at the Maritsa Iztok TPP. Of course we are worried about them and ourselves," one of the protesters told BNR. 

According to the demonstrators, the green transition is not a fair one, as the laid-off workers are being offered jobs that do not match their skills - as cooks and salespeople. They are also not being paid the promised 36 salaries as compensation.



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

Justice Minister Georgiev discusses with the EC legislative changes related to the new payment under the RRP

Bulgaria’s Minister of Justice Georgi Georgiev conferred in Brussels with the European Commission team responsible for the Resilience and Recovery Plan (RRP) reforms in Bulgaria, reported the Ministry of Justice. EC: RRP payment depends on..

published on 10/17/25 9:51 AM

Bulgaria calls for the construction of a bridge over the Danube at Silistra–Călărași

''Only two bridges connect Bulgaria and Romania along our 475-kilometer shared river border – this is a transport shortfall and a new 'Iron Curtain' within the European Union'', said Bulgaria’s Deputy Premier and Minister of Transport and..

published on 10/17/25 9:05 AM

Cloudy weather, rainfall expected in Bulgaria on Friday

On Friday, the minimum temperatures in Bulgaria will be from 6 to 11°C, in Sofia – 7°C.  During the day, it will be cloudy over most of the country. In the afternoon, rain will begin in Western Bulgaria, in the mountains above 2,000 meters - snow, and..

published on 10/16/25 7:25 PM