About: Bulgaria
Burned by Bulgaria veto, North Macedonia to ‘act more carefully’ on EU integration narrative, justice minister says
Partially attributing his party’s crushing defeat in the recent municipal elections to the stalling EU accession negotiations, North Macedonia’s justice minister Bojan Marichikj told EURACTIV the government in Skopje would be more careful in the future. The stand-off between Bulgaria...
US ‘deeply concerned’ by Bulgarian president’s Crimea comment
The United States waited until Rumen Radev's victory was confirmed in Bulgaria's presidential election run-off but then voiced its "deep concern" on Monday (22 November) over Radev's comment in a televised debate last week that “Crimea is Russian for the time being”.
Bulgaria’s justice minister: ‘This chief prosecutor will bring us EU sanctions’
In an exclusive interview for EURACTIV Bulgaria, the caretaker justice minister Ivan Demerdjiev offered scathing criticism of Prosecutor-General Ivan Geshev, saying that unless he is removed, Bulgaria risks losing access to EU funding.
Greece-Bulgaria gas interconnector IGB faces delays due to supply shortages
Greece confirmed on Wednesday (10 November) delays in the construction of a key gas interconnector linking Greece and Bulgaria (IGB), reported earlier by EURACTIV Bulgaria, but insisted that they were due to supply shortages.
A Bulgarian perspective on Serbian politics
The US messages sent to Bulgaria in April and Serbia in November are equally straightforward, the only difference being that in Bulgaria, they already produced a big effect and a change of power took place, writes Antoinette Nikolova.
Bulgaria’s daily COVID-19 deaths rise to record high
Bulgaria reported a record number of daily coronavirus deaths on Tuesday (9 November) as the European Union's least vaccinated country grapples with a fourth wave of the pandemic.
Least Vaccinated EU states Bulgaria, Romania report record high COVID-19 deaths
Bulgaria, the EU member with the lowest percentage of people vaccinated against COVID-19 (25.3%), reported a record number of 310 deaths Tuesday (2 November), while Romania, the second least-vaccinated, also hit a record of 591.
US considering adding Cyprus, Romania, Bulgaria to visa waiver program
US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the United States is considering adding four countries to its visa waiver program that allows citizens to come to America without a visa for a stay of up to 90 days.
Timmermans encourages Bulgaria to restart nuclear plant project
Commission's First Vice President Frans Timmermans advised Bulgaria to phase out coal production and said the EU would help if it reactivates a previous nuclear power plant project. EURACTIV Bulgaria reports.
Bulgaria’s recovery plan aims at 2040 coal exit: PM
Bulgaria will try to negotiate 2040 as its target deadline to phase out coal for electricity production when it submits its coronavirus recovery plan to the European Commission, interim PM Stefan Yanev said Thursday (14 October).
The erosion of media freedom in the Balkans has gone too far
The EU is supposed to embody the values of liberty, democracy and fundamental human rights. But when it comes to media freedom, it is a passive observer in the face of widespread abuses on its own turf and in its immediate neighbourhood, writes Antoinette Nikolova.
In Covid’s shadow, HIV on march in Eastern Europe
In a Bucharest back street, drug addicts rush towards an ambulance handing out free syringes. While the eyes of the world focus on the Covid-19 pandemic, the fight against HIV has slowed down in Eastern Europe.
North Macedonia holds high-stakes census, first in 20 years
In the country called today North Macedonia -- which gained independence in 1991 following the break-up of the former Yugoslavia and came close to civil war in 2001 -- the long postponed census is far from being a statistical operation.
MEP Freund: Von der Leyen, EPP still shielding Bulgaria’s ex-PM Borissov
In an exclusive interview, MEP Daniel Freund tells about his recent visit to Bulgaria, revealing the frustrations of the caretaker government which did not receive support from the EU Commission in its efforts to tackle money-laundering.
‘A crazy dream come true’: Macron inaugurates the Wrapped Arc de Triomphe
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday (16 September) inaugurated a posthumous installation conceived by the late artist Christo that envelops Paris's Arc de Triomphe monument in 2,500 square metres of silvery blue, recyclable plastic wrapping.
Commission acknowledges its Bulgaria failures
The European Commission acknowledged for the first time on Thursday (16 September) that it had not done enough to help fight high-level corruption in Bulgaria. EURACTIV Bulgaria reports
Slovenia aims to make EU-Western Balkans summit regular feature
Slovenia's EU presidency will host an EU-Western Balkans summit in early October and its desire is to make these summits a regular annual event as a means of accelerating the EU enlargement process, Foreign Minister Anže Logar has said.
WHO sounds alarm over rising COVID deaths in Europe
The World Health Organisation warned Monday (30 August) that 236,000 more people could die from COVID in Europe by December, sounding the alarm over rising infections and stagnating vaccine rates across the continent. Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, North Macedonia and Bulgaria are among the countries with the highest mortality.
EU to start talks on security, migration amid Afghanistan turmoil
The European Union will kick off discussions this week on what consequences recent developments in Afghanistan may have for security and migration in the 27-nation bloc, a spokesman for the Slovenian EU presidency said on Monday (23 August).
Half of Europeans vaccinated as Germany warns on rising virus cases
More than half of all European adults are now fully vaccinated, the EU said on Thursday (22 July), as countries across Europe and Asia battled fresh outbreaks blamed on the fast-spreading Delta variant.
Graft scandals weigh on upcoming Bulgarian elections
In the two months before the 11 July parliamentary elections in Bulgaria, a series of corruption scandals have shed light on the country’s governance during the rule of Boyko Borissov’s GERB party. According to the latest polls, support for GERB is falling.
Bulgarian president: A summit with Putin is a matter of realism
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev told reporters after an EU summit on Friday (25 June) that he had strongly supported the proposal of French and German leaders to hold an EU summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying it would help the bloc's ambition to become a global player.
Sven Giegold: ECB should start ‘digging into’ financial crime in Bulgaria
To join the Euro, Bulgaria needs to tidy up with financial crime, and the European Central Bank (ECB) should be doing its job and finally start “digging into this”, MEP Sven Giegold told EURACTIV in a telephone interview.