Elections 2021: GERB wins the vote but loses power

Relatively high voter turnout and mobilization of Bulgarian voters abroad ushered in a fragmented parliament with at least three new anti-status quo forces

The Great Patriotic Rearmament

Despite the pandemic, Bulgaria went on a military spending spree in 2020 – and pledges to continue

Geshev Unchained

The new Bulgarian Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev moved into first gear from the outset, picking fights with oligarchs, rural criminals and even the president himself. Is he aiming at something bigger than just crime busting?

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.

Fast Reads

Macedonia's new name could teach Bulgaria a thing or two

Sofia is unhappy that its role in the untying of the Macedonian-Greek Gordian knot has been ignored

The words you need to know this month

Political responsibility cannot be imported from abroad

Bulgaria and other East European countries still lack institutional frameworks that hold politicians accountable

The Airman, the Fireman and the Businessman

In a verbal spat between General Rumen Radev, a former fighter pilot, and General Boyko Borissov, a former fireman, the rarely mentioned name of business mogul Delyan Peevski emerged but that may not amount to much

No immediate threats loom on the horizont

But social discontent from increasing social inequality could erode the support for ruling coalition in the mid to long term

What is rocking GERB’s boat?

Bulgaria’s main ruling party may seem monolithic, but a series of scandals revealcracks in its foundations

The Diplomatic Government

Prime Minister Boyko Borissov’s third term will be marked by a foreign policy push he will use to dampen criticism against his domestic agenda

Why is Bulgaria prominently absent in Macedonia?

In theory, Sofia has all it takes to claim a leading role: geographical and cultural proximity, contacts, and, not least, EU membership. In practice, Bulgaria is at best an afterthought

The Refugee Issue may Make Bulgaria more Xenophobic

Bulgaria continues to receive refugees despite the EU-Turkey deal