POLITICS
24 Chasa leads with the results of an opinion poll which are summed up in a headline saying that the erosion of power sends Continue the Change (CC) party, which is the major partner in the ruling four-party coalition, trailing 6% behind the former incumbents, GERB. 
Political analyst Dimiter Ganev notes that the appearance the new party of former caretaker prime minister Stefan Yanev has changed the electoral landscape. In Ganev's opinion, the formations that stand to lose voters to the new party are CC, BSP and Vazrazhdane. 
The results of the poll, conducted between May 4 and 11 by the Trend polling agency, are reported in detail by the major online and electronic media. 
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24 Chasa and Trud report on a statement by opposition GERB-UDF floor leader Dessislava Atanassova on Saturday that her party is considering a vote of no confidence in the government, which, according to her, "could be moved over many issues". "There is no need for the opposition to undermine the powers that be as they have dug themselves in long ago," Atanassova said to the Bulgarian National radio. Telegraph quotes Atanassova as saying that "the government is noxious". 
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Interviewed by Trud, political analyst Roumyana Kolarova says that President Rumen Radev has already become unacceptable to the EU and the United States, that the mistrust in the powers that be has peaked and that the lifting of the Bulgarian veto on the start of EU accession talks by North Macedonia seems ever more impossible. 
24 Chasa interviews sociologist and writer Petko Simeonov, who is also one of the major figures of the movement for democratic change in Bulgaria back in 1989. Simeonov says he hopes that the politicians have now matured and see that it is not important to topple former prime minister Boyko Borissov but to govern the country. 
GAS PRICES AND SUPPLIES
The price of gas and gas supplies after the cut-off of Russian gas deliveries to Bulgaria was the topic of an interview on the Bulgarian National Radio with Democratic Bulgaria's Ivailo Mirchev. 
Mirchev offered strong assurance that the mix price of gas in Bulgaria in May to December 2022 will be lower than the price in January to April when the gas supplies came only from Gazprom. The MP noted that the price of gas coming from the liquefied natural gas sailing in on the two vessels from the United States "is not that advantageous compared to what would have been if Bulgaria had a long-term agreement". The price of gas from the two tankers will be a little below the price at which Bulgaria got the fuel from Gazprom. "The price of gas from the LNG tankers will be between 2% and 5% lower than what Bulgaria would have received from Gazprom at the moment. This is the end price of the gas at arrival in Bulgaria," Mirchev said. 
He went on to note that if Russia stops gas supplies to the entire Europe, a shortage will ensue and Bulgaria will have difficulties in ensuring all supplies and caps may need to be imposed. Although this is not a leading scenario, it still can happen. But even in the worst-case scenario, no apocalypse will occur in Bulgaria as gas is not used for the production of power here, Mirchev said. He stressed that the efforts of the government are "to eliminate a Big Brother, that is a major supplier," which Bulgaria is dependent on. 
Dnevnik.bg and other online news media provide highlights from Mirchev's interview. 
Mirchev was also interviewed on Nova TV's morning show where the stress was on the expected announcement of the government's anti-inflationary measures. He said there will be 12 measures, one of which is a 20% increase of pensions.
Concerning the price of gas and gas supplies, Mirchev said that the main focus of the partners in the ruling coalition is "zero energy dependence on Russia". "This is possible to achieve, we have a genuine action plan for this, not twisting of arms," the MP said. 
Asked whether DB's demand in Parliament on Friday for measures "to de-Putinize Bulgaria" threatens the four-party ruling coalition, Mirchev said that "the fact that the BSP considers Russia and Putin's regime friends of Bulgaria is worrying. We are trying to make them see that there is no way how Putin's Russia can be a friend of Bulgaria. We are defending principles," Mirchev said. 
On Nova News TV, energy expert Ivan Hinovski and economist Evgenii Kunev described as good news that Bulgaria will receive gas from a different source. "This is the first harbinger of the gas diversification in this country," Hinovski said. He doubts that the price of the LNG from the United States will be as low as the Gazprom price of gas, and argued that it will be a mistake if Bulgaria severed its relations with Gazprom. According to Hinovski, sooner or later Europe will restore its business relations with Russia. 
Kunev warned that there is much speculation that Russia offers the lowest gas price. "It may be low, but it is a different matter at what price Russia offers gas to Bulgaria," he said. Kunev said that if the case with gas payments to Russia is solved, Russian gas can again flow to Bulgaria. 
In an interview to Duma, prominent BSP member and former energy minister Roumen Ovcharov says that instead of going down, the price of natural gas in Bulgaria has doubled. Ovcharov says that Bulgaria is paying for standing up to Russia. He compares the two shiploads of LNG coming from the United States and much touted by Prime Minister Kiril Petkov, to what is said in a Russian fairy tale: go - I do not know where, find - I do not know what, and bring - I do not know what. 
On bTV former volleyball player and now manager of a big company trading in methane fuel Lybo Ganev said that the price of natural gas is "artificially hiked". Ganev argued that Europe's policy in this area is wrong. 
Capital.bg interviews Rolf Kuby, Executive Director of Euromines, who argues that Europe must be independent for its resources from Russia and China. 
ECONOMY 
A dominant topic on all papers and online news outlets is the anti-inflationary package the government is expected to announce later on Monday. 24 Chasa sums up the expected measures in a headline saying that child benefits will be increased by 50 leva per kid, electricity and gas will be exempt from excise duty and with a reduced VAT of 9% while the excise duty on tobacco products is expected to increase. 
In an interview to Telegraph, economist Boyan Dourankev compares inflation to a dictator which this country must fight. The expert warns that if prices are capped, store shelves will be wiped clean by Romanian, Greek and Serbian customers. 
On Nova TV economic experts discussed how the incumbents will cope with soaring prices and the planned protests later in the week.
Dobrin Ivanov of the Association of Industrial Capital in Bulgaria said that the protest rally planned for May 18 is not political, but economic. Ivanov said the business is not seeking the government's resignation but to be able to be competitive on the market. 
Trade union expert and economist Mika Zaikova and Luchezar Bogdanov, chief economist in the Institute for Market Economics, commented the government's measure against inflation on the Bulgarian National Television.
Zaikova argued that the only sensible measure is increasing the threshold for VAT registration to 100,000 leva, from the current 50,000 leva. However, given that the measure will apply as of the start of 2023, it comes late, she said. Zaikova further argued that the suggested move where reductions will be offered for up to 50 litres of petrol in filling stations is unenforceable as no control will be possible to exercise. 
Bogdanov said that part of the suggested anti-inflationary measures are intended to fight inflation while others compensate incomes, so therefore, it is absurd to quarrel whether a given measure will reduce inflation. 
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Analyzing the latest data about wholesale food prices, Trud concludes that foods have appreciated by 30% from a year ago.
Duma says in a headline that agricultural prices have increased by 31 per cent in a year, as reported by official statistics. 
Trud and Duma both quote predictions that bread in Bulgaria may reach 5 leva apiece. In the past nine months the price of bread and baked products went up by 50%. The increase is attributed to the growing prices of inputs. 
A report on Nova TV said that the prices of apparel and footwear too are in for a big increase, again due to the growing prices of inputs. An owner of a factory for ready-to-wears told the TV that "after the new year we even stopped doing calculations as each week the prices of everything we buy as raw materials are higher". 
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24 Chasa has a brief story on the annual report of the National Social Security Institute saying that although the Gross National Product in 2021 increased by 4.2%, this did not lead to the expected growth in employment after the shock of the coronavirus pandemic. 
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Telegraph says in banner headline that holiday makers from the former Socialist bloc will save Bulgaria's summer seaside season as tourists from the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania are coming in place of the absent Western visitors. In an inside report the newspaper says that Turkey will be the destination which will take up "the warring people" with both Russian and Ukrainian tourists heading there. Another report quotes Roumen Draganov, an expert from the Institute for Analysis and Assessments in Tourism, that Bulgaria's tourism will lose 250 million euros due to the war in Ukraine. 
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24 Chasa has a report with many photos from the celebration on Friday of the 70th anniversary of one of the big companies in Bulgaria, Minstroy. The big gala was attended by President Rumen Radev and First Lady Dessislava Radeva, as well as by many prominent business people. 
BULGARIA - REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA
In its leading story Duma says that Bulgaria and North Macedonia are not going to have a joint celebration of Sts Cyril and Methodius, the inventors of the Cyrillic alphabet, on May 24. Furthermore, a planned joint meeting of the two countries' governments will not be held on May 22. On Sunday Prime Minister Kiril Petkov's Chef de Cabinet Lena Borislavova told the Bulgarian National Television that the two countries would not hold a joint government conference in Skopje on May 22 because there was no document showing that their talks had made progress. Borislavova said there was no document to work on under the Treaty of Friendship, Good-neighbourliness and Cooperation of 2017. On Saturday North Macedonia's Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski said that the two governments would not hold a joint conference on May 22 "due to agendas not allowing this". "The ministries of foreign affairs of North Macedonia and Bulgaria are exchanging ideas, but have not yet agreed on a joint solution that could represent a foundation for mutual agreement," Kovachevski also said.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
The most commented foreign news in Monday's print and online media is Sweden's and Finland's decisions to join NATO. 
On bTV journalist Assen Agov said that he did not believe Putin will try touch the two countries. Agov also said that the security system developed after World War Two is no longer working and should be reconsidered. 
SPORT
All Monday print dailies have detailed reports on the final match of the football Sesame Bulgaria Cup won by Levski against CSKA 1-0 on Sunday.
SOCIETY 
The passing away on Sunday of Bulgarian magician artist Astor, 79, who was one of the big names of the art, is reported by all papers and online and electronic news media.
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Trud and other newspapers report on Ukraine's victory at the Eurovision song contest, noting that the win was foretold.