About: Bulgaria
MEP Sophie in ‘t Veld: Efforts to defend old system in Bulgaria don’t work
In an exclusive interview, MEP Sophie in ‘t Veld shared some insights from Thursday’s European Parliament Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group (DRFMG) session, which she chaired, where the Bulgarian Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev and the new Prime Minister Kiril Petkov were auditioned.
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...
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.
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.
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.
Slovenian FM: EU inaction in Western Balkans ‘strategically dangerous’
The EU needs to move "as soon as possible" from a wait-and-see approach to a problem-solving strategy in dealing with enlargement and the Western Balkans, Slovenian Foreign Minister Anže Logar told EURACTIV in an interview about the priorities for his country's upcoming EU Council presidency.
UN freedom of speech rapporteur must wear several hats, says Bulgarian candidate
Iveta Cherneva, a Bulgarian author who writes about security, politics, human rights, and sustainability, and a EURACTIV contributor, has been shortlisted for the position of the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of speech.
Bulgarian Deputy PM: Eastern Europe could replace China in sectors critical to the EU
The countries of Central and Eastern Europe do not have the huge human resources of China, but they do have plenty of advantages that must be used after the end of the pandemic, said Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev in an exclusive interview with EURACTIV Bulgaria.
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.
EU counter-terrorism chief: Europe ‘may see something like Daesh 2.0’
The level of terrorist threat remains "pretty serious" in several EU countries, Gilles de Kerchove, the EU's counter-terrorism coordinator, told EURACTIV.com in an interview hours before the latest attack in Strasbourg on Tuesday night (12 December).
Deputy mayor: A second bridge at Ruse-Giurgiu is a priority
Strahil Karapchanski, the deputy mayor of Ruse, the largest Bulgarian city on the Danube, told EURACTIV about the history, the present and his hopes for the future of cross-border regional cooperation with Romania, which he has helped to oversee.
Neftohim refinery boss: Europe’s refining sector will consolidate, improve
The number of oil refineries in Europe is likely to decrease but those that remain will be truly competitive, highly technological and highly efficient, Ilshat Sharafutdinov told EURACTIV in an interview.
Bozhidar Danev: Part of Bulgaria’s fuel sector lies in the grey economy
Unusually low fuel prices in Bulgaria are probably the result of cartels, or contraband, Bozhidar Danev told EURACTIV.com in an exclusive interview, saying the authorities have so far been unable or unwilling to address the issue.
Bulgarian President: I may be a general, but I don’t like warlike rhetoric
In a wide-ranging interview, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, whose country takes over the EU's rotating six-month Presidency in January, discussed European policies, the upcoming Bulgarian Presidency, and his contradictions with Prime Minister Boyko Borissov.
Westinghouse: Only Ukraine applies EU’s nuclear diversification policy
EXCLUSIVE / Unlike the five EU member states with Russian-built nuclear power plants, Ukraine is the only country implementing EU requirements for diversified portfolios of fuel supply, Michael Kirst, an official at Westinghouse, told EURACTIV.com.
LUKoil vice president: EU taxes are killing the refinery business
LUKoil would be delighted to sell the EU gas, but it cannot, as Gazprom has a monopoly on Russia's gas exports. However, the gas LUKoil discovered on the Romanian shelf will directly supply the EU, Leonid Fedun told EURACTIV.com.
Russian ambassador: EU should realise its real friend is Moscow
Russia has had good bilateral contacts in recent months with a number of EU member states, the interruption in relations is taking place only at the level of the EU itself, the Russian Ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizov told EURACTIV.com in an exclusive interview.
Bokova: My advantage is multiculturalism
In a wide-ranging interview with EURACTIV's Editor-in-Chief, Daniela Vincenti, Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO and candidate for the post of UN Secretary-General, spoke of her experience and goals, as well as discussed her strengths.
Bulgarian health minister: Drugs availability part of regional cooperation
Bulgaria and Romania will soon sign an intergovernmental agreement to jointly negotiate the pricing and availability of medicines with pharmaceutical companies, Bulgarian Health Minister Petar Moskov said in an interview with EURACTIV.com.
Ivan Krastev: Referendums cannot negotiate with each other
It is impossible that 20 % of the Dutch voters should take hostage of a common EU policy. The EU created a gifted class of intellectuals and bureaucrats and others, but they really lack a genuine political experience, Ivan Krastev told EURACTIV Slovakia in an exclusive interview.
Julian Popov: The future of gas in Europe is uncertain
Gas demand in Europe will most likely continue to decline. This is the reason why the competition for additional gas import infrastructure is so fierce and politicised - there is simply no need for more, Julian Popov told EURACTIV.com in an exclusive interview.![Maroš Šef?ovi? will chair the trilaterals [European Parliament]](https://www.euractiv.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/02/maros_sefcovic_0.jpeg)
Sefcovic: Nord Stream is not in conformity with the Energy Union’s goals
The European Commission so far is only aware of general information about the project, and is therefore unable to make conclusive decisions, Commission Vice-President Maroš Šef?ovi? told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.
Jean-Michel de Waele: ‘The European project needs to be re-established’
“The European model is dead,” Jean-Michel de Waele told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview. Our future model should be based on a core of six or seven countries that are capable of real political union.