Bulgaria has now reached the price levels of Western European countries, while its citizens continue to earn salaries that are significantly lower. Alexander Bobiya from the civil initiative “Antispekula” pointed this out during a conversation on journalist Ivelin Nikolov’s YouTube channel. Drawing on his experience as a student in the Netherlands, Bobiya noted that the Dutch minimum wage stands at around 2,300 euros - roughly four times higher than Bulgaria’s 500 euros - yet consumer prices between the two countries are surprisingly similar.

One of the most striking examples comes from the latest Eurostat data, which shows Bulgaria as having the highest prices for dairy products in the entire European Union. This is despite the country being a major producer of milk, cheese, and butter. Bobiya described the situation as absurd, especially considering that Bulgarian producers are forced to sell their goods to retail chains at minimal prices.

Since early June, “Antispekula” has been carrying out weekly monitoring of nearly 50 essential goods. Their findings reveal staggering profit margins by major retail chains. For example, producers sell 250 grams of sheep’s cheese for roughly 4 leva, but that same product is priced at nearly 10 leva in stores - representing an increase of nearly 150%. According to Bobiya, this price manipulation affects both consumers and producers. Farmers are under severe pressure and face financial collapse.

One of the mechanisms contributing to this exploitation is the practice of “reverse invoicing.” At the end of each month, retail chains issue backdated charges to producers - fees for simply entering the store network, for having products placed on certain shelves, for appearing in promotional brochures, and even for being available during store holidays.

Discrepancies have also emerged between official inflation statistics and real consumer experiences. While the National Statistical Institute claims inflation in May was zero and even reported a slight decrease in April, the National Revenue Agency detected price hikes ranging from 5% to 40% across all 14 categories of basic goods it reviewed during just a two-week period.

Data from “Antispekula” paints an even more concerning picture when compared to last year’s figures. Some basic items have doubled in price. Potatoes have gone up by 33%, minced meat by 53%, and boneless pork neck by 45%. Over a single week, chicken fillet rose by 10% and yellow onions by 18%, following a 14% increase the week prior - an overall rise of more than 30% in just two weeks.

In response to growing frustration, “Antispekula” has launched a public platform through its website Antispekula.bg and a mobile app. These allow citizens to report inflated prices and suspicious retail practices. A volunteer team follows up with independent checks and documentation of submitted cases. The project is backed by five civil society groups, including “Stand Up.BG,” the Federation of Consumers in Bulgaria, and the Association for Affordable and Quality Food.

Bobiya criticized the limited powers of state institutions to intervene. “Can anyone stop me from selling at these prices? No one,” he said, highlighting the ineffectiveness of existing regulation. The Commission for Protection of Competition can only act in cases of illegal pricing or cartel activity - and even then, the penalties are negligible, usually no more than 10,000 to 30,000 leva.

To counter this systemic abuse, the initiative proposes a dedicated “Anti-Speculation” law. The draft includes measures such as setting a cap on markups at 10%, reintroducing last year’s bank fees, and enforcing penalties of 3% to 7% of annual turnover for violators. According to Bobiya, this is not a partisan issue: “Everyone is paying these prices, no matter who they voted for. That’s why I expect every MP to sign on to this law,” he said, calling for cross-party support in the fight against price gouging.