Basic foods are getting more expensive by 1% at most, and prices are holding, deputy prime minister and economy, investment and industry minister Alexander Pulev said on the Bulgarian National Television (BNT) show "The Day Starts with Georgi Lyubenov". He said inflation on these items is between 0%, 0.5% and 1%. On a €100 shop, that means at most €1 more.
The Commission for Protection of Competition has opened a series of proceedings against retail chains. Pulev expects fines to reach almost 10% of the chains' turnover. He said the penalties will be made public.
The minister compared current prices with those in 2025, when, he said, almost all product categories rose by 100%. "Compare a 1% rise in food prices with the effective 100% rise in food prices we saw in 2025."
Pulev blamed the jump on speculation before Bulgaria joined the eurozone and on a lack of price controls under the previous government. "The coalition literally exercised no price control at all," he said.
The Commission for Consumer Protection has fined two retail chains for unfair practices. The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) found irregularities at seven warehouses run by various chains across Bulgaria, and four central kitchens have been closed.
The government and parliament have defined 32 unfair trading practices, which the minister said removes any room for different readings of the rules. He believes the cabinet, parliament and regulators are working together to protect households and consumers.
Pulev said multimillion-euro fines will bring discipline to the whole chain, from the producer to the shelf. The government is not waging a "war" on the chains, the minister said. He called them partners, as long as they follow the rules.
The cabinet is preparing financial schemes for Bulgarian farmers and farms with the Bulgarian Development Bank. The minister said they should give Bulgarian produce an equal place on the shelves.