Bulgaria Still Leads EU With Lowest Fuel Prices

Economist Rumen Galabinov stated today that Bulgaria remains the country with the lowest diesel and gasoline prices within the eurozone, highlighting this as a key point in the current fuel price discussion.

According to Petar Ganev, senior researcher at the Institute for Economic Research, the government measures introduced to address rising fuel prices are primarily social in nature rather than genuinely anti-inflationary. He explained that the aim is largely to ease public concern and prevent panic rather than directly curb inflation. Ganev also noted that calls for direct price caps on fuels are misplaced, arguing that such tools are not an appropriate state mechanism. In his view, the current policy approach is relatively cautious, and more effective results could be achieved if support measures were directed at specific sectors such as transport or food production, rather than applied broadly across society.

Economist Shteryo Nozharov pointed out that the perception of rising inflation has been strengthened in the context of Bulgaria’s eurozone membership, with psychological factors playing a significant role. He said the rapid introduction of government measures was intended to stabilize expectations and prevent inflation from becoming self-reinforcing. Nozharov added that while the measures may help reassure the public, they should not be viewed as a single unified anti-inflation package, since only a small portion directly targets inflation itself, while the majority are aimed at supporting vulnerable groups.

Rumen Galabinov further commented that the government is combining different policy instruments used across Europe, including administrative actions, adjustments related to excise duties and VAT, as well as compensation schemes. He described the overall approach of the caretaker government as an attempt to respond with limited financial resources while maintaining stability.