The lost decade of Bulgaria

The governments of Boyko Borissov promised reform, but instead created an apparatus for extortion and clientelism

A slap from across the ocean, a 4.2% drop in GDP and are there really so many vandals around here

Budget revenues rise even during the pandemic

Bulgaria’s budget gap widened in 2020 but the worst forecasts failed to materialize

Corona-debt

Bulgaria raised 2.5 billion euro through the sale of Eurobonds under favorable conditions in September. The question is what the GERB-led government coalition will do with the money

Postponing the Fall

How long will the Prime Minister Boyko Borissov dodge resigning after three months of protests and what comes next?

Bulgarian Development Bank’s New Leadership

A dubious loan stirred public uproar in April, leading to the quick dismissal of the bank’s management but the new team seems unlikely to fix the systemic problems at the state-owned lender

How the government bought a bank

The government has cleared the last hurdle on the path to the Eurozone’s waiting room by purchasing a 20% stake in the private lender for 140 million levs

Time for new debt

The higher ceiling for new debt issuance gives the Bulgarian government more fiscal room for policy-making

The VAT shock

Restaurants, books and baby goods got a surprise cut in VAT rate from prime minister Boyko Borissov

Bulgaria finally enters the euro’s waiting room

The country will continue implementing reforms in the judiciary and in the fight against organized crime and corruption, according to the ECB

Taxing Trouble

The taxation Ordinance N-18 that affects almost every company in Bulgaria has introduced an extremely complex, unclear and expensive regulation, and will repel foreign investors

The gambling war

The attack on gambling tycoon Vasil Bozhkov is yet another example of how politics and business in Bulgaria are intertwined

Bulgaria gliding on the waves of the economic cycle

The local economy continues to move in sync with European trends, while opportunities for reforms slowly dwindle

A Glitch on Bulgaria’s Euro Path

Prime Minister Boyko Borissov unexpectedly "freezes" Bulgaria's advance into the euro area despite positive signals from Brussels

Fast Reads

Fibank trying to pass ECB’s bar

Accrued loan impairment added up to over 65 million levs following the ECB's comprehensive assessment

A budget to appeal to everyone

There is enough room for maneuvering in case of an economic downturn but reforms are nowhere in sight

Keep your Americans close and your Russians closer

Prime Minister Borissov met President Trump in an attempt to align the energy and security interests of the two countries, but trod carefully so as not to infringe upon Russian interests in Bulgaria.

Is Eurozone entry slipping away from Bulgaria?

Bulgaria may face fresh obstacles on its path towards the Eurozone and the Banking Union

The state with the most open data

The July leak of National Revenue Agency data belonging to millions of taxpayers exposed the current state of Bulgaria’s cybersecurity and commitment to electronic governance