On Thursday parliamentary parties started planning discussions between each other and the President to form a government, with first meetings due on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Educational Ministry announced that seven universities, including Sofia University, the medical academies in Sofia, Varna and Pleven, the Technical University of Sofia, and the Chemical and Metallurgy University in Sofia and Plovdiv University, would earn the rank of "research institutions". Thanks to their significant contributions to fundamental research and innovation, these universities will be able to apply for additional national and EU funding to maintain and develop their research capacity.
Supreme Judicial Council throws out Geshev impeachment attempt
After a seven hour debate, the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) voted by 12 votes to 8 to reject caretaker Justice Minister Yanaki Stoilov's bid to dismiss Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev, deeming it inadmissible.
This decision ends the week-long saga in which Mr Stoilov called for Mr Geshev's removal from office for a series of acts that harmed the reputation of the State Prosecution and might be deemed criminal. These included illegitimately exposing wiretaps during the course of an ongoing investigation and raiding the Presidency.
National Assembly launches committees to probe previous cabinet
The new Parliament began with the establishment of four committees - a regular one to debate changes to the statute of the National Assembly, and three special temporary commissions to examine the work of the cabinet of ex-Prime Minister Boyko Borissov.
The first group, dubbed the "Rosenets" committee, will delve into the genesis of the questionably legal seaside mansion of the honorary president of the MRF Ahmed Dogan near Burgas. The second will investigate police brutality during last summer's protests. The last specialized committee will be a continuation of the "Manolova" group (after Stand Up, BG leader Maya Manolova) from the previous Parliament, tasked with inspecting how GERB spent public money.
Assen Vassilev: From October, no pensioner would receive less than 185 euro
The caretaker government has prepared a revised budget that would increase the minimum pension to 185 euro, or just over the poverty line, from October onward. The proposal is pending approval by the new Parliament, caretaker Minister of Finance Assen Vassilev said on Thursday.
This would cost the budget around 283 million euro, which would come from an increased collection of taxes by the National Revenue Agency and expected transfers from the EU Recovery plan, he added. The measure will impact over 430,000 Bulgarian retirees who live on income under the poverty line. Currently, 43 percent of Bulgarians over 65 are at risk of poverty, the highest in the EU.
On Thursday parliamentary parties started planning discussions between each other and the President to form a government, with first meetings due on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Educational Ministry announced that seven universities, including Sofia University, the medical academies in Sofia, Varna and Pleven, the Technical University of Sofia, and the Chemical and Metallurgy University in Sofia and Plovdiv University, would earn the rank of "research institutions". Thanks to their significant contributions to fundamental research and innovation, these universities will be able to apply for additional national and EU funding to maintain and develop their research capacity.
