Sofia mayor axes chief architect after clash

Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev announced on Tuesday that he had asked for the resignation of the municipality’s chief architect. In a statement posted to Facebook, Terziev said he and the architect, Panayotova, held differing visions about how the urban planning office should function and what responsibilities the position should carry.

Terziev explained that the capital requires a deputy mayor for urban planning who thinks strategically and oversees a streamlined technical team. He said his planned reforms would make planning more predictable and sustainable while establishing clearer accountability. The mayor acknowledged exhausting all options for discussion before taking this step.

The restructuring will focus on updating the city’s master development plan, implementing comprehensive territorial planning, setting urban environment standards, strengthening construction oversight, protecting cultural heritage sites, advancing major city projects, and increasing procedural transparency. Terziev promised to reveal a new organizational framework with defined roles and stronger deputy mayors by the end of this week. He stated that leadership sometimes demands tough choices and that Sofia cannot afford delays.