Peevski and Borissov Target Mayor Terziev as Sofia’s Garbage Crisis Triggers Daily Cleanup Reports

Political tensions escalated over the ongoing garbage crisis in Sofia, with senior figures from GERB, DPS-New Beginning, and TISP sharply criticizing Mayor Vasil Terziev, while the Metropolitan Municipality announced new measures aimed at transparency and cleanup progress.

Speaking in Stara Zagora, GERB leader Boyko Borissov used the situation in the capital as a direct comparison with other municipalities, arguing that Sofia illustrates the governing capacity of his political opponents from "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB). He said Terziev should remain in office until the end of his term so citizens could fully assess the results of WCC-DB governance. According to Borissov, GERB offered assistance at the very start of the crisis, but the mayor declined.

Stara Zagora Mayor Zhivko Todorov added a financial comparison, noting that garbage collection in his city costs BGN 109 per ton (about EUR 56), while in Sofia the price exceeds BGN 200 per ton (over EUR 102). Borissov warned his political opponents against taking his statements out of context, particularly regarding protests.

Alongside GERB’s criticism, the parliamentary group of DPS-New Beginning sent formal alerts to the outgoing ministers of environment and health, as well as regional environmental and health authorities in Sofia, urging immediate action. The party called for sanctions, the possible declaration of a state of emergency, and full mobilization of state resources, warning of an ecological and health crisis caused by uncollected waste across the capital.

DPS-New Beginning leader Delyan Peevski publicly demanded Terziev’s resignation, later repeating the call in a statement referencing a past remark by WCC leader Asen Vasilev, “Who allowed this outrage?” Peevski accused the mayor and his team of incapacity and lack of responsibility, insisting that the state must intervene. Earlier, TISP leader Slavi Trifonov had also called for Terziev to step down.

In response to the growing pressure, the Metropolitan Municipality announced new steps to monitor cleanup efforts. The Inspectorate will begin issuing daily public reports detailing how much waste has been cleared in affected areas, according to its director Nikolay Nedelkov. He said the situation is gradually improving, including in Lyulin, where additional equipment and vehicles have been deployed. Nedelkov expressed confidence that the district’s problems would be resolved by the end of the month.

However, serious difficulties remain in Slatina, Poduyane, and Izgrev, where the cleanup continues with reinforced capacity and extended operations beyond previous schedules. Nedelkov said this approach has already produced results, with daily waste removal exceeding targets, reaching 110 tons instead of the planned 90 in two districts.

The garbage crisis began around three months ago, initially affecting Lyulin and Krasno selo, before spreading to Slatina, Poduyane, and Izgrev. The Metropolitan Waste Treatment Plant has stepped in to assist, despite not being primarily responsible for garbage collection. At the end of 2025, contracts for waste removal in nine additional districts were extended to ensure continuity. Meanwhile, tender procedures for Ilinden, Nadezhda, and Serdika remain blocked due to appeals, delaying the signing of a new contract.

Mayor Terziev has defended the municipality’s actions, saying the annexes to existing contracts guarantee uninterrupted service at reasonable prices, without yielding to pressure or economically unjustified demands. The dispute traces back to a tender launched in June, where in many districts only one bidder applied, often proposing prices significantly higher than those previously set, leading the municipality to refuse most contracts.

Terziev’s response
Responding to the political attacks, Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev said that the most costly burden in Bulgaria is not VAT, but fear. According to him, fear of standing out, confronting those in power or becoming inconvenient has sustained the same dependent system for years. He argued that while many citizens distance themselves from politics, decisions continue to be made over people’s lives, money, rules, appointments and contracts.

Terziev pointed out that Bulgaria remains at the bottom of the European Union by key indicators such as income, education and life expectancy, while many households live on the brink without this translating into real changes in governance. He said that civic courage is often ridiculed, while obedience is rewarded, which discourages active public engagement.

The mayor stressed that the upcoming elections are the moment when, in his words, “political garbage” can be removed most easily. He called for active participation, urging citizens to vote, not to sell their vote, to report pressure and to take part in protecting the integrity of the ballot. Terziev added that machine voting helps limit manipulation and abuse.

In this context, he recalled his refusal to sign a bill worth nearly BGN 400 million, about EUR 204 million, warning that it would have led, within a few years, to an annual waste fee of more than EUR 500 for an average family of four in the Lyulin district. He described this decision as an example of rejecting policies that unfairly shift the burden onto citizens.

Terziev concluded that without reconciliation the current system has no future and called for it to be dismantled. He also made a practical appeal to residents to sort waste properly and avoid placing construction and bulky waste in standard containers, describing this as a long-term financial benefit. The Metropolitan Municipality, he said, will continue to provide regular updates on the measures taken through the crisis headquarters.