Dimitar Margaritov, former head of Bulgaria's Consumer Protection Commission (KZP), says the 11 cases the commission has announced will most likely draw complaints and end up in court. He spoke to BNT.

Margaritov thinks some of the final court rulings will go against the KZP and come in a year or two. He expects half of the cases to reach court and not end successfully.

He called for other steps against rising prices to get a "green light" as soon as possible.

For now, only one measure works against price rises on basic goods: the extension law passed in 2025 because of the switch to the euro. It bans traders from raising prices unless there is an objective reason. That is why the word "markup" comes up so often these days, Margaritov says, even though the law does not define it.

He compared it to speculation: "A markup is a bit like speculation. It's in everyday use, but nobody knows what it means."

At a press conference, Manolova said officials must prove where a price rise comes from, from the cost of the product to the price on the shelf. Margaritov expects this to take huge effort ("nine wells of water").

In his view, checks are already under way, including complex ones with other institutions. But their result is loudly advertised, even though it comes down to 11 cases.

Where is the fair value, he also asked. He has backed this idea more than once because, he says, it gives a "weapon" both to the inspection bodies and to consumers.