About: Bulgaria
Counting wolves in Bulgaria – with EU money
A €9-million report on the state of species and natural habitats in Bulgaria, paid for with EU taxpayers’ money, may in fact be a sham, Valia Ahchieva reports.
A ruin to serve as Children’s Hospital? Angry Bulgarians call on Brussels to intervene
A conflict is brewing in Bulgaria between civil society and the government over plans to reconstruct a 12-floor ruin, built during the last years of communism and abandoned ever since, into a children's hospital.
Bulgarian dissident takes stock of 30 years of ‘criminal’ transition
Petar Boyadjiev, a Bulgarian dissident and political refugee living in France, has talked to EURACTIV Bulgaria about his “disgust” with people in power in his native country, who he says waste or misappropriate EU funds instead of using them to the benefit of society.
Media-shy Czech mogul buys TV empire spanning five EU countries
The PPF investment group owned by Petr Kellner, who keeps a low profile despite being the Czech Republic's wealthiest man, said Monday (28 October) it had sealed a deal for the CME media group running 30 TV stations in five Central European states.
MEP Novakov: EU Cohesion policy needs a tough lady like Elisa Ferreira to defend it
Rule of law should be a matter of respect everywhere, not only in the Cohesion Policy. But ordinary beneficiaries should not be held responsible for the action of the whole country infringing common EU standards, MEP Andrey Novakov told EURACTIV Slovakia in an interview.
Bulgaria appoints new chief prosecutor amid protests
Bulgaria appointed a new chief prosecutor on Thursday (24 October) despite months-long protests by citizens who questioned the sole nominee's professionalism, integrity and independence.
All eyes on France after inconclusive enlargement summit debate
After a long night of inconclusive discussions, EU heads of state are set to return to the EU enlargement issue today (18 October). All eyes are on France, as Emmanuel Macron's position has so far been the major stumbling block for opening accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania.
Life in Bulgaria, after Brexit – a ‘no-brainer’ for expats
The village of Radyuvene is a far cry from the hustle and bustle of UK urban life. But it is home to Beynon and Sue Darley, who swapped Guildford, a town 40 km south of London, for a rambling cottage in rural central Bulgaria.
VW puts on hold plan for €1 bln car factory in Turkey over Syria incursion
Volkswagen has postponed the decision on opening a new car factory in Turkey against the background of the Turkish military offensive in Syria. "The final decision for the new plant was postponed by the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG," a company spokesman said on Tuesday (15 October), confirming media reports.
Bulgaria PM will ask EU leaders to stop criticising Erdogan
European Council President Donald Tusk strongly opposed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday (11 October), warning him to stop blackmailing Europe. That has prompted Bulgaria’s prime minister to reveal he will ask EU chiefs to tone down their stance against Erdoğan.
EU concerned at migrant wave triggered by Turkey’s planned Syria invasion
Germany warned on Tuesday (8 October) of a repeat of the chaotic influx of migrants that caught the European Union unprepared in 2015, while Greece, Bulgaria and Cyprus sounded the alarm over a resurgence of arrivals from neighbouring Turkey.
Le Pen’s Bulgarian ally under the spotlight for cross-border medicine trafficking
Vesselin Mareshki gained international prominence when French far-right leader Marine le Pen chose him as her political ally in Bulgaria. But things started to go wrong when Mareshki lost the European elections in May. Now, judges have recognised him as the mastermind of a cross-border network of medicine traffickers.
Kovesi will succeed only if media freedom is kept alive
Laura Codruta Kovesi, Romania's former chief anti-corruption prosecutor, is expected to be approved as the new head of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office. Iveta Cherneva argues that the lack of media freedom in countries like Bulgaria will make it exceptionally difficult for Kovesi to uncover crimes involving EU funding.
Georgieva to be the first IMF chief from an emerging economy
Bulgarian economist Kristalina Georgieva is expected to be confirmed on Wednesday (25 September) as managing director of the International Monetary Fund, which would make her the first person from an emerging economy to head the global lender.
Prague to remove statue of Soviet World War II marshal
A district assembly in Prague voted on Thursday (12 September) to remove a statue of a Soviet World War Two marshal and replace it with a more general memorial following a row that has drawn in the Czech president and Russian authorities.
Russia says second leg of Turkish Stream will go via Bulgaria, not Greece
The second leg of the Turkish Stream pipeline will go through Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Friday (26 July).
EU anti-fraud network EUROFISC hacked in Bulgaria
Hackers in Bulgaria have got access to huge amounts of information, including files from the EU’s anti-fraud network EUROFISC. The Commission confirmed to EURACTIV on Thursday (25 July) that it was monitoring the embarrassing situation.
Andriukaitis raps Bulgaria for failing to act against swine fever
The inadequate reaction of Bulgaria's authorities to a huge outbreak of swine fever puts at risk the entire pig population of the country, the EU Commissioner for health, food and safety has told the Bulgarian National Radio ‘Horizont’ programme.
Two charged with ‘terrorism’ over Bulgaria’s biggest data breach
Prosecutors have charged two workers at a cybersecurity company with terrorism as part of an investigation into Bulgaria's biggest-ever data breach, a lawyer for the defendants said on Wednesday (24 July).
In systemic breach, hackers steal millions of Bulgarians’ financial data
Bulgaria’s finance minister apologized to the country on Tuesday (16 July) after admitting hackers had stolen millions of taxpayers’ financial data in an attack that one researcher said may have compromised nearly every adult’s personal records.
Bulgarian EPP deputy: Don’t take vote for Ursula von der Leyen for granted
Part of the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) has serious doubts about Ursula von der Leyen’s nomination for President of the European Commission and may not support her, Bulgarian MEP Radan Kanev told news website EUelectionsBulgaria.com.
Bulgaria slashes state subsidy, allows unlimited donations for political parties
Bulgaria's parliament removed all limits for individual and corporate donations for political parties Thursday (4 July), a move which many fear could worsen the country's already endemic corruption.
North Macedonia’s Sekerinska: Postponing decisions is not the best policy
North Macedonia has done its part in removing the obstacles on its road to EU accession, but the EU has been slow to follow suit, North Macedonia’s Defence Minister Radmila Šekerinska told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview. Radmila Šekerinska is...