Expats

Bulgaria Says It Won't Ratify ACTA Unconditionally [Feb 02, 2012] Bulgaria will ratify the ACTA trade agreement, but the country will keep its current legislation in the field of Internet services, it emerged on Thursday. On Thursday, Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov met with representatives of the local IT sector, Internet Service Providers and MPs with his ruling centrist-right GERB to discuss the controversial agreement. Bulgaria will express its ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Mulls Permanent Ban on Hydrofracking Technology [Jan 17, 2012] The ban on the use of hydrofracking technology in the extraction and exploration of gas and oil in Bulgaria will be permanent. The text is included in a draft proposal of the Parliamentary group of the ruling, center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, which will be submitted in the Parliament on Wednesday. The proposal points out that the ban includes the use any ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's GERB Lifts Chevron Shale Gas License [Jan 17, 2012] The cabinet of the ruling, center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, withdrew Tuesday its decision granting rights to sign a contract with the US company "Chevron." The news was reported by the Minister of Economy and Energy, Traicho Traikov, speaking after the meeting of the Council of Ministers. ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Ruling Party Adopts Temporary Ban on Shale Gas Exploration [Jan 17, 2012] Bulgaria's Parliamentary Energy Committee - dominated by the ruling center-right party GERB - has approved a temporary ban on the exploration and extraction of shale gas a day after mass protest rallies took place in 12 Bulgarian cities over the issue. However, GERB's move has been immediately slammed by eco-activists who were quick to react that the temporary moratorium was only designed to ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Rulers Go for Temporary Ban on Shale Gas Exploration [Jan 16, 2012] Bulgaria's ruling center-right party GERB has decided to approve a temporary moratorium on the exploration and extraction of shale gas amidst a day after mass protest rallies took place in 12 Bulgarian cities over the issue. Thus, the Parliamentary Group of the GERB party will accept the proposals of the opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party, the nationalist party Ataka, and the marginal ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Special Anti-Mafia Court Kicks Off [Jan 03, 2012] January 3, 2012, is the first working day of Bulgaria's brand-new "anti-mafia" court and the respective prosecutor's office. The controversial institution has been initiated by the ruling center-right part GERB and Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov against the protests of the Socialists and centrist formations, who slammed it as a dictatorship device that is ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's GERB Yields to Retirement Age Protests [Dec 01, 2011] Bulgaria's ruling centrist-right GERB has yielded to Wednesday's massive protest against the sudden retirement age upping in the country with one year in 2012, proposing a more gradual increase over the next three years. After a three-hour meeting with representatives of the main Bulgarian syndicates, GERB has proposed a retirement age upping only for employees of the so called third category of ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Georgieva Defends Raising Bulgaria's Retirement Age [Nov 26, 2011] Bulgaria's EU Commissioner and former World Bank VP Kristalina Georgieva has defended the move of the ruling center-right party GERB that stipulates an increase of the retirement age by one year as of 2012. "It is clear that Bulgaria needs a pension system reform. This is necessitated by the demographic profile of our nation.... [via YahooNews] More >>

Finland PM Accolades Bulgaria's Fiscal Discipline [Nov 16, 2011] Prime Minister of Finland, Jyrki Katainen, is impressed by Bulgaria's fiscal discipline and the planned and executed reforms in the country. The news was reported by the cabinet's press center. Katainen has offered the praise during a phone call with his Bulgarian counterpart and leader of the ruling, center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party (GERB), Boyko Borisov. ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria votes for new president amid corruption concerns [Oct 30, 2011] Polling stations in Bulgaria opened on Sunday as the country sought to elect a new president. The candidate from the ruling center-right GERB party was expected to win the second-round runoff. [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Battle for Mayors, Round 2 - Who? Where? How? [Oct 29, 2011] A total of 173 out of 264 Bulgarian municipalities will vote for mayors in a second round on October 30, including Plovdiv, Varna, Smolyan, Pleven, as none of the candidates got 50% of the vote in the first round on October 23. 18 of Bulgaria's 28 major regional cities will be among those holding run-offs, with 10 of them pitting representatives of ruling GERB against the Bulgarian Socialist ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria to hold runoff election in its presidential race [Oct 28, 2011] SOFIA, Bulgaria ? Bulgaria has announced the final results from last week?s presidential election, and the top two candidates who will compete in a runoff. The election commission said Thursday that of the 18 candidates in last Sunday?s vote, Rosen Plevneliev, the governing GERB party?s candidate, finished first with 40.11 percent, and Ivailo Kalfin of the opposition Socialist Party second with ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria to hold runoff election in its presidential race [Oct 27, 2011] SOFIA, Bulgaria ? Bulgaria has announced the final results from last week?s presidential election, and the top two candidates who will compete in a runoff. The election commission said Thursday that of the 18 candidates in last Sunday?s vote, Rosen Plevneliev, the governing GERB party?s candidate, finished first with 40.11 percent, and Ivailo Kalfin of the opposition Socialist Party second with ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's GERB Leads President Vote after 57% Ballot Count [Oct 24, 2011] The nominations for president and vice president of Bulgaria's ruling, center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, GERB, party have the lead in the Sunday vote after the counting of 57% of the ballots. The information was reported Monday by the spokesperson of the Central Electoral Commission, CEC, Ralitsa Negentsova. Bulgaria's former Minister of Regional Development and Public ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Ruling GERB Dominates Media in Elections Eve [Oct 18, 2011] Bulgaria's ruling, center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, GERB, party is completely dominating the country's media reports on the campaign for the October 23 presidential and local elections. Meanwhile, some parties and candidates have been subject to a nearly full informational blackout, according to a study of the Institute for Social Integration, whose results were ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Ruling Party Slams Major Russian Paper for Distorting Presidential Candidate [Oct 06, 2011] Rosen Plevneliev, the presidential candidate of Bulgarian ruling party GERB, has never stated he is favoring Russian energy projects in Bulgaria, contrary to an article published Thursday by Russian daily Kommersant, said GERB in a statement. "We are resolutely expressing out indignation at the unprofessional approach of Kommersant's journalist, who attributed to Mr. Plevneliev things he has ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Dutch Ambassador Dims Further Bulgaria's Schengen Hopes [Sep 19, 2011] Karel van Kesteren, Dutch Ambassador to Bulgaria, confirmed Monday his country's position and intentions to block Bulgaria's joining of the Schengen zone. After a meeting with the candidates for president and vice president from the ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, GERB, party, Rosen Plevneliev, and Margarita Popova, the diplomat reiterated the Netherlands government would ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's GERB Presidential Bidder with Lead in Latest Pol [Sep 18, 2011] The presidential candidate of the ruling, center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, GERB, party, Rosen Plevneliev, has a significant lead in the latest poll. The data from the poll was released Sunday by the Mediana polling agency and announced by the Bulgarian National Radio, BNR. If elections were to be held now ? the candidate of the opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Top Men of State Endeared at Presidential Nomination [Sep 04, 2011] Bulgaria's GERB ruling party nomination for October 23 presidential elections was revealed Sunday to mark the 10th anniversary of the relationship between party founders and leaders, Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov and vice-PM Tsvetan Tsvetanov. This confession was made at the Sunday GERB press conference by GERB vice-chair and boss of the election team Tsvetan Tsvetanov. "Exactly 10 years ago ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's GERB VP Candidate Vows to 'Open Up' Judiciary [Sep 04, 2011] Margarita Popova, the Vice President nominee of ruling party GERB, has vowed that the "opening-up" of the judicial system to the citizens will be a major priority for her and her running mate Rosen Plevneliev. Popova, Bulgaria's current Justice Minister, and Plevneliev, the current Minister of Regional Development were nominated to run in the October 23 presidential elections by Prime Minister ... [via YahooNews] More >>