Anastasov warns delay could halt Burgas refinery operations

Stanislav Anastasov, a member of parliament from DPS – New Beginning, urged the opposition and President Rumen Radev not to postpone changes to the law concerning the special manager of Lukoil. Speaking from the National Assembly, Anastasov stressed that the legislation must be adopted before the November 21 deadline set by the United States for new sanctions to take effect. He warned that any attempt to delay the bill would jeopardize operations at the Burgas refinery.

Anastasov explained that the urgent amendments, passed early in the morning by the energy committee, are needed after US authorities blocked a Russian company’s bid to acquire Lukoil. He noted that with the expanded powers of the special manager, the refinery could potentially be sold following a model previously accepted by the US in Germany. Opposition lawmakers accused the government of moving toward nationalization and criticized the rushed process, claiming the committee meeting took place before the scheduled time. In response to these disputes, Deputy Speaker Kostadin Angelov called a short recess during the parliamentary session.