The firing of a well-known television presenter in Bulgaria, a voice critical of politicians, has sparked backlash, reigniting concerns about political pressure on the media amid the country's government collapse, Politico reports.
Tsantsarova, a critical voice towards politicians. PHOTO capture FB Evgeni Veselinov
Maria Tsantsarova, the host of the political show “This Morning” on bTV, Bulgaria's main television channel, was informed on Friday that she will no longer carry out her duties, according to local media reports.
“We are concerned about the risk of another 'seat emptying'
In solidarity with Tsantsarova and her co-presenter, Zlatimir Yochev, who was also fired, journalists and ordinary citizens gathered in front of the bTV headquarters in Sofia on Friday evening.
“We are concerned about the risk of a new one «emptying the seats» – removal of critical voices – from Bulgaria's national airwaves. We request bTV management to make a reasonable decision that does not contravene the public interest or the law protecting freedom of expression“, reported the Association of European Journalists in Bulgaria.
Maria Tsantsarova's dismissal comes at a time of deep political instability, after the country's coalition government resigned last week amid widespread anti-government protests, less than a year after taking office.
“It's time to make a real change”
The demonstrators who protested in front of the bTV headquarters carried glasses with writing on them “It's time to make a real change,” a reference to the same glass with which Tsantsarova recently appeared live.
The television station denied the dismissal of the journalist, explaining that “he is in dialogue with Maria Tsantsarova and discusses the possibilities of developing the content of his programs with her active involvement in the new year, which is a standard practice.”
Neither Tsantsarova nor Yochev publicly commented on the development of the situation.
In the ranking of press freedom carried out by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) this year, Bulgaria went from 59th to 70th place.
“Press freedom is fragile and unstable in one of the poorest and most corrupt countries in the European Union. The few independent media in Bulgaria are under pressure,” stated RSF in its analysis for 2025.
