The leaders of Bulgaria’s tripartite ruling coalition cloistered themselves in Bansko for a weekend, emerging with announcements of a host of proposals for changes to social and health policies, and having discussed the country’s troubled Interior Ministry.

In the issue of The Sofia Echo published on May 20, the newspaper has three pages of details of what came out of the meeting – along with reports on the searing criticism of Bulgaria in a letter from the European Commission.

In the newspaper’s regional coverage, Spasena Baramova outlines the hard road ahead for parties in Serbia as they embark on negotiations to achieve a governing coalition after the May 11 elections.

In the business section, Elena Koinova analyses the reasons for the recent performance of the stock exchange, and there are details on the European Central Bank and European Union reports on the eurozone.

The Sofia Echo’s May 11 issue includes the first of a two-part series on education in Bulgaria, with the first part examining kindergarten and primary school education.

In the features section, David Clark tells a tale of home-made rakiya, and there are our customary social photographs, along with film, restaurant and venue reviews.

Alex Bivol gives an update as Manchester United and Chelsea, accompanied by their fans, prepare for their showdown in Moscow on May 21.