Bulgaria's Caretaker Agriculture and Food Minister Ivan Hristanov reported on Friday that his office received a tip on Thursday that may involve national security concerns. He confirmed that Prime Minister Andrey Gurov has been informed but refrained from providing further details about the nature of the threat.

Hristanov made the remarks during a news conference where he introduced his newly appointed team. He also rejected criticism from the There Is Such a People (TISP) party, calling their attacks on his recruitment policies “lies” and dismissing calls for his removal.

We remind you that yesterday, Hristanov confirmed that the state-run “People Shop” initiative, launched in December 2025 to provide affordable goods to over 100,000 Bulgarians in small towns, is currently operating at a loss, generating around 200,000 leva in revenue against 250,000 leva in expenses, with projected 2026 revenues of 37 million leva far below the 110–130 million leva needed for profitability.

Hristanov highlighted questionable spending within the Ministry, including inflated contracts for animal assessments and large-scale projects, and announced plans for detailed monthly financial analyses through 2030. The parliamentary group There Is Such a People (TISP) simultaneously demanded his resignation, citing conflicts of interest and politically motivated appointments, including Angel Mavrovski at the Food Safety Agency and Ivana Murdzheva overseeing EU funds.

The project, closely linked to oligarch Delyan Peevski, who partnered with the Central Cooperative Union and the Cooperative Union – Plovdiv to open more than 70 stands and a mobile store, has drawn scrutiny for combining social aims with politically connected retail expansion. Critics question the economic sustainability of the chain, the concentration of influence in Peevski’s hands, and the broader implications for transparency, market competition, and state-backed interventions in retail, even as the initiative continues in roughly 50 Plovdiv locations.