EU on the warpathAlex Bivol The European Commission said on May 6 that it had sent Bulgaria written warnings, the first step in the infringement procedure, for failing to issue new or updated permits for industrial installations, and also for obstructing the free flow of capital through discriminatory read more  Gergyovden parade Bulgaria’s armed forces showcased their elite units and best military equipment on May 6, St George’s Day (Gergyovden), which is also celebrated as the Bulgarian Army and Bravery day, in front of hundreds of onlookers in central Sofia. Greatly scaled down compared with similar read more City parkingPetar Kostadinov One side effect of Bulgaria’s growing economy is something that is causing a headache for municipalities - a shrinking number of parking places. Designed by communist-era urban planners, Bulgarian cities’ centres are no longer capable of accommodating the ever-increasing number read more Busy agendaStructural changes within the Interior Ministry and the Cabinet’s healthcare policy are expected to be on the busy agenda of the leaders of the three ruling parties at their May 10 to 11 meeting in Bansko. Petar Kostadinov Structural changes within the Interior Ministry and the Cabinet’s healthcare policy are expected to be on the busy agenda of the leaders of the three ruling parties at their May 10 to 11 meeting in Bansko. The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), the National Movement for Stability read more Serbia: From confontation to coalition?Spasena Baramova When on February 17 Kosovo announced its secession from Serbia to become an independent state, it was clear to everyone that the consequences would be far-reaching. Few, however, could have guessed that within less than a month, Belgrade would be left without a government and read more A message from SiderovA year ahead of the next parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev said that the elections campaign had already started. On April 17, Volen Siderov, leader of the ultra-nationalist Ataka party, stated his willingness to change the party’s public image and called for a debate on Bulgaria’s future.Petar Kostadinov On April 17, ultra-nationalist Ataka party leader Volen Siderov made one of the most significant statements of his political career. At a conference to mark Ataka’s third birthday, Siderov dwelt on the subject of Ahmed Dogan, leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms read more
Workforce import for BeleneElena Koinova The acute shortage of qualified labour, a problem that has been the focus of public debate, has manifested in yet another expert statement and in yet another large-scale project. In an April 29 video conference, the vice-president of Atomstroyexport, the Russian nuclear read more Doing whatever it takesElitsa Grancharova Only two companies filed the paperwork required to take part in the open bid auction for the sale of 251 400 shares or the whole Bobov Dol thermal power plant before the deadline on April 25. The two bidders are Consortium Energia MK AD and Minna Kompania EOOD, Bulgarian read more The cost of pension insurance populismAdriana Mladenova, Institute for Market Economics In the middle of April, the Bulgarian media reported the emergence of a new social security policy idea. The idea, authored by the lead partner in the country’s tripartite coalition, the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), foresees a change in the formula for calculating pensions. read more
Erudite action manA fearsome Viking tries to go straight but the public expects him to keep killing. Gabriel Hershman He's a softly spoken chemical engineering graduate, devoted family man, talented linguist and budding writer with an IQ rumoured to be nudging 160. I'm meeting him at his workplace. But it's not a science lab. Neither has my interviewee just penned a scientific treatise. read more
FROM THE EDITOR: Home and away People in the Bulgarian tourist industry are divided on whether most Bulgarians spent the May special holiday in neighbouring countries or stayed at home. One set of figures says that two-thirds of Bulgarians headed for Greece and Turkey, while the rival set claims the read more
COLUMNISTS: MY BULGARIA: Faking itPetar Kostadinov The first idea that Bulgaria’s new Interior Minister Mihail Mikov had for improving the image of the ministry after its most recent corruption scandals was to increase police presence on the streets. This was Mikov’s way of decreasing the stress on people caused by heavy read more COLUMNISTS: RANDOM: AshesMagdalena Rahn It was not until a friend called – from Maastricht, having seen the news on BNT – that I even knew that there had been a fire. The smell of burnt plastic I had attributed to someone’s Easter candle left to burn too long in a yoghurt container, forgotten after a night that read more COLUMNISTS: OFFLINE: Small stepsRene Beekman Many of the public transport vehicles in Sofia may look as if they date back half a century; the company that owns and operates them, Sofia Public Transport Company, abbreviated in Bulgarian as SKGT, is making small steps into this century in other areas. In early May, SKGT read more
The Sofia SevensThe weekend of May 10 and 11 promises to be the busiest in the 2008 schedule for Murphy’s Misfits Rugby Club. Kevin Ogley The multi-national Murphy's Misfits are in their sixth season of existence, and the forthcoming weekend sees the club compete in the Sofia Sevens while at the same time hosting English touring team Whitney RFC. Now in its 14th year, the Sofia Sevens is an annual Sevens Rugby read more A friendly finalPetar Kostadinov The Dutch coach of Zenit St Petersburg, Dick Advocaat, will have a “happy hour” on May 14 when his team will challenge Glasgow Rangers for the UEFA Cup trophy.
“The final has already been billed as the ‘friendly final’ due to our close association with Dick Advocaat and a read more
Club NatalieElitsa Grancharova Club Natalie caught my eye several years ago, as it used to attract several types of visitors and artists to its three venues: the gallery, the cafe and the boutique.
The gallery and the boutique still exist; the cafe, however, is no longer part of the club. It was transferred read more
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