Vazrazhdane MPs have asked parliament to summon the head of the State Commission on Commodity Exchanges and Marketplaces (DKSBT) over rising food prices, the party's press office said.
The party wants an analysis of what's driving the increases, a market forecast through the end of 2026, the results of checks carried out so far, and details of what has been done up to now. It also wants to know why prices differ from region to region and how the rises are hitting shops.
The wholesale food price index, which tracks food prices at Bulgaria's marketplaces, has now risen for a second week running. Between 21 and 25 September it climbed 1.36%, taking the index from 2,281 to 2,312 points, after a 1.19% rise the week before.
Of the 32 food items tracked, 23 got more expensive, 8 got cheaper and one held steady. DKSBT data show most fruit and vegetables at Bulgaria's exchanges cost more this week.
Prices vary widely from region to region. A kilogram of "Vitosha"-type kashkaval cheese costs between 6.26 and 15.13 euros, while type-500 flour ranges from 0.43 to 0.97 euros a kilogram.
Vazrazhdane says the ongoing rise raises the question of whether wholesale prices are settling into a lasting upward trend. The party points out that the increases aren't limited to seasonal fruit and vegetables — they also cover type-500 flour, dried beans, lentils, butter, fresh milk and sugar.
The party wants to know whether the causes are purely real factors — production, energy and transport costs, import prices, tighter supply, seasonal swings — or whether unjustified price hikes, weak competition and speculation are also at play.
The MPs are asking for the hearing to be the first item on parliament's agenda on 1 October.