The day in 3 news: Firms recovering in January; "Second" Prosecutor General law goes to Constitutional court; Plovdiv airport’s concession delayed again

PM Boyko Borissov

The day in 3 news: Firms recovering in January; "Second" Prosecutor General law goes to Constitutional court; Plovdiv airport’s concession delayed again

PM Boyko Borissov

© Velko Angelov


Prime Minister Boyko Borissov is on a roll. After demanding the start of mass vaccinations, Borissov turned to another problematic area - hospitality. He confirmed the opening of restaurants and gambling establishments on March 1 and ordered health authorities to prepare for the opening of nightclubs and bars on April 1. This means that all measures, apart from basic social distancing and mandatory masks in public spaces, will have been rescinded as of April. Meanwhile, confirmed cases rose again this week, with the daily number approaching 2,000 - just as businesses started recovering from the hit they took in the fall.

Business bounces back from second COVID-19 wave

Fewer businesses relied on measures to limit labor costs in January compared to December, according to the National Statistical Institute's monthly business survey. This means that companies have started to recover from the damage caused by the severe second wave of COVID-19 in the fall. Moreover, the percentage of those hiring new personnel has increased - from 4.8% in December to 7.2% in January.

President sends "second" Prosecutor General law to the Constitutional court

President Rumen Radev has challenged the creation of a special prosecutor with the power to investigate the chief prosecutor or his deputies before the Constitutional Court. A week ago, the National Assembly voted to overturn the president's veto. The proposal for the creation of a "second" Prosecutor General came from GERB and was dismissed as absurd by Bulgarian lawyers and the Venice Commission. Still, it passed with 125 votes in favor of the ruling coalition.

Plovdiv airport's concession postponed again

The deadline for submitting bids for the concession of Plovdiv airport has been extended once again. The bidding will conclude shortly before the election. According to the latest correction of the information by the Ministry of Transport, the deadline is now March 24, 2021, 12:30 Bulgarian time. Applications will be opened two hours later. The procedure has already been extended several times. Bids were initially supposed to be submitted by April 2020. However, most extensions hitherto have been for three months. It is unclear whether the elections are the reason for the shorter deadline or that a specific candidate has finally come into play.

Prime Minister Boyko Borissov is on a roll. After demanding the start of mass vaccinations, Borissov turned to another problematic area - hospitality. He confirmed the opening of restaurants and gambling establishments on March 1 and ordered health authorities to prepare for the opening of nightclubs and bars on April 1. This means that all measures, apart from basic social distancing and mandatory masks in public spaces, will have been rescinded as of April. Meanwhile, confirmed cases rose again this week, with the daily number approaching 2,000 - just as businesses started recovering from the hit they took in the fall.

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