# Varna Pulse

> Varna Pulse is an independent, multilingual news digest for Varna, Bulgaria’s third-largest city and main Black Sea port. Every story is cross-checked against at least two sources and links to the original reporting.

Editorial policy: https://varnapulse.com/en/about/#how-we-check · Last updated: 2026-11-01

Coverage: Varna, Bulgaria (Black Sea coast). Languages: English (/en/), Български (/bg/), Deutsch (/de/), Türkçe (/tr/), Русский (/ru/), Română (/ro/).
Part of the Varna Pulse network: Varna Pulse (https://varnapulse.com) — News from Varna and Bulgaria; Varna Daily (https://varnadaily.com) — Everyday life in Varna; Varna Guide (https://varnaguide.com) — The complete guide to Varna; New in Varna (https://newinvarna.com) — Start a new life by the sea.
One team, four sites: all 4 sites are made by the same small independent editorial team, under one editorial policy. Links between them are our own cross-references, not independent confirmation.

## Hubs

- [All pages (A–Z)](https://varnapulse.com/en/all/): every English page on Varna Pulse, grouped by section
- [RSS (English)](https://varnapulse.com/en/rss.xml): latest pages

## Varna

- [Varna still has no 2026 budget: council and mayor disagree](https://varnapulse.com/en/varna-2026-budget-standoff-council-kotsev/): Varna has no adopted 2026 budget. The council wants Mayor Kotsev to submit a corrected draft; he says it was filed in August. Both positions explained. (updated 2026-11-01)
- [Cherno More Varna fans called a protest against the owners, backed coach Iliev](https://varnapulse.com/en/cherno-more-fans-protest-october-2026/): Cherno More's fan club called a protest at Ticha before the 27 October game with Septemvri: against the owners, for coach Ilian Iliev. Cherno More won 2-0. (updated 2026-11-01)
- [Lake Varna sewage pipe case: court sets Portnih trial for 26 November](https://varnapulse.com/en/lake-varna-pollution-trial-portnih/): On 26 October a Varna court set ex-mayor Ivan Portnih's trial over the Lake Varna sewage pipe for 26 November; the damage is put at over 7.52m leva. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Varna derby: Spartak v Cherno More on 21 November 2026](https://varnapulse.com/en/spartak-cherno-more-varna-derby-november-2026/): Spartak Varna host Cherno More on Saturday 21 November 2026 in efbet League round 15, kick-off listed at 17:15 local time. Fixtures, tickets and getting to the match. (updated 2026-11-01)
- [Varna average salary Q2 2026: €1,360 a month, third in Bulgaria](https://varnapulse.com/en/varna-average-salary-q2-2026/): The average gross salary in Varna district was €1,360 a month in Q2 2026, up 12.7% in a year and third in Bulgaria. ICT paid most, hotels least. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Varna keeps BBB+ credit rating but still has no 2026 budget](https://varnapulse.com/en/varna-credit-rating-bbb-plus-2026/): BCRA confirmed Varna's BBB+ (stable) credit rating, but the city still has no adopted 2026 budget. The council is expected to discuss it in November. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Varna fishing port modernisation about 20% done, due November 2027](https://varnapulse.com/en/varna-fishing-port-modernisation/): The EU-funded upgrade of Varna's fishing port in Asparuhovo is 15–20% complete; it is built in two stages so boats keep working until November 2027. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Varna mayor Blagomir Kotsev: the corruption case so far](https://varnapulse.com/en/varna-mayor-kotsev-case-explained/): Varna mayor Blagomir Kotsev has not been convicted and denies the charges. The court sent the case back to prosecutors; a timeline as of 26 October 2026. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Varna and Black Sea security: Navy, mines and the Russian consulate](https://varnapulse.com/en/varna-navy-black-sea-security-explained/): Varna is home to Bulgaria's Navy. What we know about Black Sea mines, the Bulgaria–Romania–Turkey mine group, the Hrabri and the Russian consulate. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Varna property prices 2026: +15% a year as one in five buyers drops out](https://varnapulse.com/en/varna-property-prices-2026/): Bulgarian home prices rose 15.5% y/y in Q2 2026; in Varna asking prices run €1,500–3,300/m². Sales are down 17–18% and growth may slow to 5–7% in 2027. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [State inspection finds violations among 600+ Varna change-of-use permits](https://varnapulse.com/en/varna-urban-planning-crackdown-2026/): Building control found violations among 600+ change-of-use permits Varna issued since 2023. Earlier: a referral to prosecutors and 2 demolition cases. (updated 2026-11-01)
- [France backs Black Sea security hub in Varna during minister's visit](https://varnapulse.com/en/black-sea-security-hub-varna/): France's foreign minister backed a Black Sea maritime security hub in Varna and Constanta at the Naval Academy; the mayor asked for more drone tracking. (updated 2026-10-24)
- [1,331 traffic reports: Varna's "On record, no compromise" campaign in numbers](https://varnapulse.com/en/varna-police-video-reports-campaign/): Since August 2025, people in Varna have sent police 1,331 videos and reports of traffic violations; checks on 951 cases are complete, Varna police say. (updated 2026-10-24)
- [Asparuhovo landslide: Varna's state of disaster set to close on 27 October](https://varnapulse.com/en/asparuhovo-landslide-emergency-ends/): Varna's Asparuhovo landslide state of disaster was set to close on 27 October; on 30 October inspectors named an old water main as the main cause. (updated 2026-11-01)
- [Varna council approves €75,000 for the New Year concert with Marty Cintron](https://varnapulse.com/en/varna-culture-budget-dispute/): Varna's council approved €75,000 for the New Year concert with Marty Cintron of No Mercy, not the €114,000 proposed. No vote count was reported. (updated 2026-11-01)
- [Varna Jazz Days 2026: Antonio Forcione opened it, Ida Nielsen billed to close](https://varnapulse.com/en/varna-jazz-days-2026/): Varna Jazz Days 2026 was programmed for 25 October–29 November on the Filial stage: Forcione and Erdoğan opened it, Ida Nielsen was billed to close it. (updated 2026-10-22)
- [Varna investment scam call centre network busted: 4 charged](https://varnapulse.com/en/varna-investment-fraud-call-centres-busted/): Police raided investment-fraud call centres in Varna, Sofia and Burgas on 21 Oct 2026; four men are charged over about €600,000 taken from EU citizens. (updated 2026-10-21)
- [CineLibri 2026 opens in Varna: book-to-film programme until 8 November](https://varnapulse.com/en/cinelibri-2026-varna/): CineLibri's 12th edition opened in Varna on 23 October with a Huppert comedy; book adaptations screen at the FCC until 8 November 2026. (updated 2026-10-20)

## Bulgaria

- [Bulgaria 2027 budget: child benefits up 16–56%, public pay +5%](https://varnapulse.com/en/bulgaria-2027-budget-benefits-public-pay/): Draft 2027 budget: child and family benefits up 16–56%, public-sector pay +5%, education +7.5%, pensions from mid-2027. Not adopted yet. (updated 2026-11-01)
- [Bulgaria 2027 budget plan and tax changes explained](https://varnapulse.com/en/bulgaria-2027-budget-plan-taxes-explained/): Bulgaria's draft 2027 budget: 4.3% deficit, €60,000 VAT threshold, €200 food vouchers, higher property tax, 33% windfall tax. All still drafts. (updated 2026-11-01)
- [How corrupt is Bulgaria? Corruption index, EU rule-of-law report and judicial reform in 2026](https://varnapulse.com/en/bulgaria-corruption-rule-of-law-2026/): Bulgaria scored 40/100 in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index, joint last in the EU. What the 2026 EU rule-of-law report and the Sarafov exit mean. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Bulgaria economic outlook 2026–2027: IMF, Fitch and EY forecasts](https://varnapulse.com/en/bulgaria-economy-outlook-imf-fitch-2026/): The IMF sees Bulgaria growing 2.6% in 2026 with 4.9% inflation; Fitch kept BBB+ with a positive outlook. What the forecasts mean for Varna. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Fuel prices Bulgaria October 2026: diesel €1.91, A95 €1.65, up 42%](https://varnapulse.com/en/bulgaria-fuel-prices-october-2026/): Diesel costs about €1.91/l and A95 €1.65/l in Bulgaria (21 Oct 2026). Fuel rose 42.2% in a year, the EU's biggest jump. No shortage, but supply is tight. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Housing loans in Bulgaria up 25% a year: what BNB data says about the 2026 mortgage boom](https://varnapulse.com/en/bulgaria-housing-loans-boom-2026-bnb/): Bulgarian housing loans reached €19.3bn in August 2026, up 25.2% y/y, BNB data show. Rates stay near 2.4%. What fast credit growth means for Varna buyers. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Bulgaria inflation 2026: why euro prices rose 5.7% by September](https://varnapulse.com/en/bulgaria-inflation-september-2026-euro-prices/): Bulgaria's annual inflation rate hit 5.7% in September 2026. Fuel, transport and services drove it, not the euro switch: food rose only 1.6%. The data explained. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [US troops, NATO and Bulgaria's military in 2026: bases, battlegroup, spending and F-16s](https://varnapulse.com/en/bulgaria-military-nato-battlegroup-us-troops/): Bulgaria hosts rotating US troops at four Bulgarian-owned joint facilities. Explainer on the NATO battlegroup, Bezmer, defence spending and F-16s. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Bulgaria minimum wage 2027: €660 a month proposed, up from €620](https://varnapulse.com/en/bulgaria-minimum-wage-2027/): Bulgaria plans a €660 gross minimum wage from 1 January 2027, up 6.4% from €620.20. That is about €512 net. The decree is not final yet. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Why is Bulgaria blocking North Macedonia's EU path? The dispute explained (2026)](https://varnapulse.com/en/bulgaria-north-macedonia-eu-dispute-explained/): Sofia says Skopje must keep its 2022 promises, starting with adding Bulgarians to its constitution. Skopje wants guarantees first. Status in October 2026. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Bulgaria's April 2026 election: results, seats and how Radev became PM](https://varnapulse.com/en/bulgaria-parliamentary-election-2026-results/): Final results of Bulgaria's 19 April 2026 snap election: Progressive Bulgaria won 131 of 240 seats, five parties got in, and Radev became PM on 8 May. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Bulgarian pensions 2026–2027: +7.8% from July, next rise mid-2027](https://varnapulse.com/en/bulgaria-pensions-2026-2027/): Bulgarian pensions rose 7.8% on 1 July 2026; the minimum old-age pension is now €347.51. The next rise is due mid-2027, % not set yet. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Bulgaria's political parties in 2026: who is in parliament](https://varnapulse.com/en/bulgaria-political-parties-2026/): Five parties sit in Bulgaria's 240-seat parliament after the April 2026 vote: Progressive Bulgaria (131), GERB-SDS, PP-DB, DPS and Vazrazhdane. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [President vs prime minister in Bulgaria: who has the power?](https://varnapulse.com/en/bulgaria-president-vs-prime-minister-powers/): Bulgaria is a parliamentary republic: the PM governs, the president has a suspensive veto, the army and caretaker cabinets. Why Radev switched jobs. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Bulgaria presidential election results 2026: runoff on 1 November](https://varnapulse.com/en/bulgaria-presidential-runoff-2026-yotova-gyurov/): CEC count: Yotova 34.76%, Gyurov 31.95%. Runoff on 1 November 2026: where both stand on Russia, Ukraine and the EU, who backs them, how Varna votes. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Does Bulgaria still depend on Russian energy? Gas, TurkStream and Lukoil explained](https://varnapulse.com/en/bulgaria-russian-gas-turkstream-lukoil-energy/): Bulgaria stopped buying Russian gas in 2022, but Russian gas still crosses it via TurkStream. EU ban dates, new supply routes and the Lukoil refinery. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Bulgaria and Turkey in 2026: relations, the Turkish minority and 1989](https://varnapulse.com/en/bulgaria-turkey-relations-bulgarian-turks/): About 508,000 people in Bulgaria identify as Turks. The 1989 exodus, the DPS, and Bulgaria–Turkey ties in 2026: trade, Black Sea and border, with sources. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Does Bulgaria still help Ukraine? Weapons, the Coalition of the Willing and EU sanctions in 2026](https://varnapulse.com/en/bulgaria-ukraine-military-aid-sanctions-2026/): Bulgaria stopped giving weapons from army stocks in June 2026, but commercial arms sales continue. A dated timeline of aid, the coalition and EU sanctions. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Bulgarian politics explained (2026): who runs the country, the parties, Russia, NATO and the EU](https://varnapulse.com/en/bulgarian-politics-explained/): Who runs Bulgaria in 2026, which parties sit in parliament, where the country stands on Russia, NATO and the EU, and what the 1 November runoff decides. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Is Bulgaria pro-Russian? Bulgaria–Russia relations in 2026, explained](https://varnapulse.com/en/is-bulgaria-pro-russian-relations-2026/): No simple yes or no: Bulgaria stays in NATO and the EU, but the Radev government seeks dialogue with Moscow. The facts, the polls and both readings. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Lukoil Bulgaria sanctions licence extended to April 2027](https://varnapulse.com/en/lukoil-burgas-refinery-us-licence-april-2027/): The US licence for Lukoil Bulgaria runs to 24 April 2027; the UK extended its own to 26 February 2027, so the Burgas refinery and stations keep running. (updated 2026-11-01)
- [Delyan Peevski and the Magnitsky sanctions: what is being investigated](https://varnapulse.com/en/peevski-magnitsky-sanctions-explained/): Why the US and UK sanctioned Delyan Peevski and other Bulgarians, what the 2026 flights dispute and Audit Office probe are about, and what both sides say. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Why has Bulgaria had so many elections since 2021?](https://varnapulse.com/en/why-bulgaria-has-so-many-elections/): Eight parliamentary elections from April 2021 to April 2026: split parliaments, caretaker cabinets, the 2025 protests and the 2026 majority. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Black Sea shipping attacks and drones in 2026: 570 ships hit, now off Bulgaria](https://varnapulse.com/en/black-sea-deadliest-shipping-route-2026/): Over 570 ships hit in the Black Sea in 2026, the FT reports. Latest: the Contship Jet, struck off Cape Kaliakra on 28 Oct; its 18 crew were taken to Varna. (updated 2026-11-01)
- [Bulgaria votes for president: what Varna voters need to know](https://varnapulse.com/en/bulgaria-presidential-election-2026/): Bulgaria voted for president on 25 October 2026: 27 candidate pairs, about 6.59 million voters, 408,019 of them in Varna region. How the vote worked. (updated 2026-10-25)
- [Black Sea drone attacks off Bulgaria: Contship Jet hit off Kaliakra](https://varnapulse.com/en/drones-hit-ships-bulgarian-black-sea-zone/): Drones have hit ships off Bulgaria since 6 Oct 2026. Update 1 Nov: Contship Jet hit off Cape Kaliakra on 28 Oct, 18 crew safe in Varna, pollution checks. (updated 2026-11-01)

## Transport

- [Summer 2027: new direct flights from Germany to Varna](https://varnapulse.com/en/germany-flights-varna-summer-2027/): Corendon and BH Air (sold via ICC) plan new flights from six German airports to Varna and Burgas from May 2027. Routes, dates and what is still open. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Kapitan Andreevo border queue: works push trucks to Lesovo](https://varnapulse.com/en/kapitan-andreevo-works-border-queues-october-2026/): Rebuilding at Kapitan Andreevo has sent trucks to Hamzabeyli–Lesovo: 27 km queues, waits of days. Reports cover trucks; car drivers should plan ahead. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Varna and Burgas airports: 555,000 passengers in September](https://varnapulse.com/en/varna-burgas-airports-september-2026-passengers/): Varna and Burgas airports handled about 555,000 passengers in September 2026, up 8.6% year on year, after passing 3 million for 2026, Fraport data show. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Varna replaces green right-turn arrows with full traffic lights](https://varnapulse.com/en/varna-right-turn-traffic-signals/): Two Varna junctions now have three-colour right-turn signals instead of green arrows; five more will follow under new national rules. (updated 2026-10-22)
- [Varna bus tickets app: only TTickets stays, live GPS and card payment next](https://varnapulse.com/en/varna-bus-live-gps-t-tickets-card-payment/): Varna will keep only the TTickets app (Ticket Varna retires), validate tickets on board; live GPS arrivals and bank-card payment are coming, no dates yet. (updated 2026-10-21)

## Tourism

- [Balchik backs 12.4 km Albena–Palace cycle route with Năvodari](https://varnapulse.com/en/balchik-albena-cycle-route-interreg/): Balchik council backs a €5.96m Interreg project with Năvodari for 12.4 km of cycle paths from Albena to the Palace. It is planned, not built yet. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Black Sea Tourism Forum 2026 in Varna: 'smart destination' plans to 2035](https://varnapulse.com/en/black-sea-tourism-forum-2026-varna/): The 19th Black Sea Tourism Forum meets in Varna on 30–31 October 2026 at Hotel Cherno More to discuss smart tourism, data, AI and a 2035 vision for Varna. (updated 2026-11-01)
- [Bulgaria's 2026 tourist season in numbers: 7 million visits](https://varnapulse.com/en/bulgaria-tourism-2026-season-results/): Bulgaria logged over 7 million tourist visits in January–September 2026, but foreign visits fell 2.1% in August. Key figures and what they mean for Varna. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Eurovision 2027 in Burgas: dates, arena, tickets and Varna as a base](https://varnapulse.com/en/eurovision-2027-burgas-varna-base/): Eurovision 2027 is in Burgas: semi-finals on 11 and 13 May, final on 15 May at Arena Burgas. Tickets are not on sale yet. Why Varna is a smart base for fans. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [TUI–Bulgaria deal to double tourists by 2030 puts Varna at centre](https://varnapulse.com/en/tui-bulgaria-memorandum-2030-varna/): Bulgaria and TUI signed a 3-year memorandum in Varna on 24 September 2026 to double TUI tourists to 400,000 a year by 2030 and stretch the season. (updated 2026-10-26)
- [Varna region tourism, August 2026: fewer nights, higher revenue](https://varnapulse.com/en/varna-region-august-2026-tourism-figures/): Varna region hotels logged 1.38 million nights in August 2026, 3.6% fewer than a year earlier, while revenue rose 7.2% to €91.2 million, NSI says. (updated 2026-10-13)

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