COVID-19: Reopening amidst the third wave and before the elections

Despite rising hospitalizations and fatalities, Bulgarian authorities are easing anti-epidemic restrictions just days after their imposition

What’s the problem with Bulgarian media?

A combination of market trends and murky political interference has turned the media environment toxic, with only islands of professionalism remaining

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

The day in 3 news: Bad loans rise; Gov’t looks to herd immunity by end-summer; Upcoming rail tender for half a billion euro

Bulgaria enters third pandemic wave, no new measures for now

Mass vaccination postponed until beginning of March, Sofia has ordered 460,000 more dozes of the Moderna vaccine

The day in 3 news: Health officials brace for more infections, Bulgarians still predominantly Russophile, e-commerce grows 10 percent in 2020

Eyes wide shut (no more?)

The EU faces a conundrum: either get tough on Boyko Borissov or accept his "Orban lite" model

Fast Reads

Fast Reads

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?

The words you need to know this month

Sofia is putting too many eggs in Gazprom’s basket

The construction of TurkStream’s extension via Bulgaria will make the country too reliant on Russia again

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.

A Martyr of (Anti)corruption

Desislava Ivancheva, the ex-mayor of Sofia’s Mladost district, received the heaviest graft sentence in recent Bulgarian history but the authorities’ handling of the case stirred public outrage and sympathy for her.

Having a fact-based opinion is now a felony in Bulgaria

The criminal sentence handed to Capital Weekly investigative journalist Rossen Bossev could serve as a precedent to suppress future journalistic investigations

Players to watch: Borissov’s demoted lieutenant

Tsvetan Tsvetanov, the senior lieutenant of GERB leader Boyko Borissov and parliamentary whip, fell from grace in less than three months because of Apartmentgate

GERB’s real (estate) troubles have just begun

A series of real estate scandals involving senior politicians, predominantly from the ruling GERB party or with ties to it, triggered hitherto unseen public outrage and serial resignations. The more profound effects are still to be felt

Fast Reads

GPGate – a matrix for winning public tenders

A network of connected companies and individuals compiles, evaluates, and implements EU-funded projects