The Economic Crisis, Oligarchic Model, and Double Standards in Bulgaria – Ivelin Mihaylov Before "Narodna Sila"

Ivelin Mihaylov provides a deep analysis of the severe economic and political state of Bulgaria, emphasizing the lack of a real market economy, the disastrous impact of the oligarchic model, and the institutional double standards toward business and citizens.

Lack of a Market Economy and Dependence on the State

The interlocutor categorically states that a real market economy does not exist in Bulgaria. According to him, the country is in a tragic condition, and the eventual introduction of the euro will further worsen the situation within a non-competitive environment. He gives the example of the United States, where large corporations buy out their competitors for billions to maintain their leadership, yet the business operates on a market principle.

In contrast, the economic entities in our country exist primarily by absorbing funds from the state budget. This teaches them inefficiency and wastefulness, hindering any progress.

Demographic Collapse and Regional Economy

Bulgaria is rapidly becoming a shrinking market, losing its population due to a complete lack of development prospects. People are emigrating en masse, and domestic consumption suffers to such an extent that it necessitates the import of basic goods through electronic platforms from neighboring Romania. To overcome the crisis and fill the budget, the interlocutor proposes specific solutions.

• Zoning of the Country: Defining clear economic priorities and developmental directions for each individual Bulgarian region.
• Infrastructure: Urgent restoration and construction of railway lines as the cheapest and most efficient land transport for people and cargo.
• Economic Incentives: Providing targeted state expenditures (an economic "electroshock") to revitalize the business environment, attract foreign clients, and bring emigrants back home.

Double Standards and Media Repression

The interlocutor pays serious attention to the ongoing media attacks against "Historical Park," referring specifically to the "Capital" publication. The journalists there spread fake news about the closure of the site, despite the management never announcing such an intention. He emphasizes that in constitutional states like the USA, such targeted destruction of private initiative would lead to massive financial compensation and effective prison sentences of hundreds of years, while in Bulgaria the state apparatus maintains complete silence.

The entrepreneur also points out shocking examples of the lack of justice in law enforcement. Vlogger Stoyan Kolev was unlawfully detained by the authorities simply because he is inconvenient for the system. At the same time, famous personalities publicly drive at 250 km/h under the influence of drugs, film their crimes, but remain completely unpunished by the police and the prosecutor's office.

The Political Status Quo and a Ray of Hope

The political labels "left" and "right" have long disappeared in the country, as all rulers serve solely their private interests and fail to fulfill their promises to the voters. The representatives of PP-DB continue the corrupt practices of their predecessors without offering any real change for the citizens. According to the interlocutor, the rulers have made Bulgarians 50% poorer through their actions.

Nevertheless, he notes a temporary halt to the freefall and the escalation of institutional repressions against independent business. The main reason for this calming down is the fact that the former leading factors in governance, in the face of Boyko Borisov and Delyan Peevski, have temporarily lost their absolute control over state power.