The day in 3 news: Capital weekly editor SLAPPed, Maritza East-2 records 170 million euro deficit in 2020, Gov’t changes all regional governors

The financial situation of Bulgaria's largest coal power plant becomes worse year after year

The day in 3 news: Capital weekly editor SLAPPed, Maritza East-2 records 170 million euro deficit in 2020, Gov’t changes all regional governors

The financial situation of Bulgaria's largest coal power plant becomes worse year after year

© Tsvetelina Belutova


Wednesday was a day of U-turns: basically, most of what you read in the last few Kapital Insights' news brief has been reversed. The police's investigation of journalist Dimitar Kenarov's tax files? Canceled. The directors of security agencies going on unpaid leave until September? As of Wednesday they are back on duty at the office of the Prime Minister. No more "green corridors" for Covid-19 jabs if you are not over 60 or chronically ill from Monday to Friday, as per Health Minister Stoycho Katsarov's ordinance from Tuesday? Well, people got angry and we are (almost) back to square one, with green corridors remaining operational, but with priority queues for the elderly Monday to Thursday.

Capital weekly editor sued for Bulgarian Development Bank coverage

On Wednesday Capital weekly announced that the publication's finance editor Nickolay Stoyanov had been served three summons from the Sofia Administrative Court. Stoyanov is being sued for defamation by the ex-director of the Bulgarian Development Bank (BDB) Stoyan Mavrodiev and Cypriot Michael Tymvios for two articles investigating links between them and their potential role in a "golden passport" scheme for foreigners to obtain Bulgarian (and thus European) passports. The Capital weekly team wrote in a position that the claims made by Mr Mavrodiev and Mr Tymvios are classic examples of "Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation," or intimidation suits. This is the fourth defamation suit that Mr Mavrodiev has filed against Capital weekly representatives, after he failed in his bid to fine the newspaper during his stint as head of the Financial Oversight Commission.

Maritza East-2 records a year-on-year loss of 170 million euro to a total of over 0,5 billion

The state-owned Maritza East-2 coal power plant near Stara Zagora has recorded its worst financial year, losing 170 million euro in 2020 and accumulating 0,58 billion in total losses and 0,68 billion euro of debt. The power plant suffers predominantly from the growing carbon emission quota prices which have reached 55 euro per ton, up from 25 euro in early 2020. The company has failed to restructure despite receiving over 0,5 billion euro of various state subsidies in the first quarter of 2020 alone.

Gov't replaces all regional governors

All 28 regional governors in the country have been laid off and replaced, Prime Minister Stefan Yanev's spokesperson Anton Kutev announced on Wednesday. Most of their replacements have backgrounds as police heads or were temporary governors during the previous caretaker government in 2017. "We've ordered the new governors to ensure that they can guarantee the fairness of the upcoming election and limit the opportunities for corporate voting or voter fraud," Mr Kutev said.

Wednesday was a day of U-turns: basically, most of what you read in the last few Kapital Insights' news brief has been reversed. The police's investigation of journalist Dimitar Kenarov's tax files? Canceled. The directors of security agencies going on unpaid leave until September? As of Wednesday they are back on duty at the office of the Prime Minister. No more "green corridors" for Covid-19 jabs if you are not over 60 or chronically ill from Monday to Friday, as per Health Minister Stoycho Katsarov's ordinance from Tuesday? Well, people got angry and we are (almost) back to square one, with green corridors remaining operational, but with priority queues for the elderly Monday to Thursday.

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