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

UPDATED Freight trains collide head-on near Sofia, two people are killed

Two people were killed and five were injured in a head-on collision between two freight trains near Sofia, BNT reported.  The trains collided near the village of Lokorsko, between the villages of Kremikovtzi and Svetovrachene. One of the freight..

published on 1/15/25 5:39 PM

Weather forecast: Cold Thursday morning with daytime highs around and below 0°C

On Thursday morning, visibility will be reduced in some areas in the valleys and around the water bodies. After noon, the cloud cover will break up and decrease. It will be mostly sunny over Eastern Bulgaria. The lowest temperatures will range from..

published on 1/15/25 5:20 PM

The parliamentary majority agreement and what's in it

GERB-SDS, BSP – United Left and "There Is Such A People have signed an agreement outlining the main priorities for the future government, said the press center of GERB-SDS. The parliamentary group of Democracy, Rights and Freedoms – DPS affiliated..

published on 1/15/25 4:59 PM