Civil Initiative “Protection of Maritsa-East“ submitted a BOOK PETITION with 6547 signatures to the three main decision-making centers in the country:
The National Assembly
The Presidency
The Council of Ministers
Total 6547 signatures, of which:
4760 – collected on paper
1787 – printed from the first online petition (as of 16.05.2026)
In parallel with the paper one, two online petitions continue to collect signatures: through the initiative's website, where there is also a link to the European platform OpenPetition.
What does the petition demand?
The mining and energy complex “Maritsa-Iztok“ to be recognized as a critical strategic asset for the energy security of Bulgaria and Southeastern Europe.
The complex produces over 40% of the country's electricity and provides unique system services:
Rotating inertia
Maneuvering active power
Reactive power
Hot reserve
These are functions that RES and batteries cannot replace. The complex is the easternmost synchronous node in ENTSO-E and is key to stabilizing the European grid in case of disturbances.
The petition demands targeted European funding to maintain these capacities until 2038 and to include the complex in the NPP.