Since the start of the current administration, Varna has faced criticism for its inability to attract European funding, with experts and citizens alike pointing out the city's underperformance in comparison to smaller municipalities like Burgas. Burgas , which has a much smaller population, currently has a European funds budget that exceeds Varna 's by 20 million euros. This shortfall coincides with the failure of the competition to select a new director for the Directorate "European and