Bulgaria

Bulgarian president calls November 14 snap polls

President Rumen Radev has called Bulgaria's third parliamentary election this year for Nov. 14 after inconclusive polls in April and July failed to produce a government, the president's media office…

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Bulgaria’s parliament approves 2021 budget changes ahead of polls

SOFIA, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Bulgaria's parliament approved on Saturday changes to the 2021 state budget aimed at shielding the country from an upsurge in coronavirus cases and woo struggling…

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Bulgaria, EU’s least vaccinated nation, faces deadly surge

Bulgaria has one of the highest coronavirus death rates in the 27-nation European Union and is facing a new, rapid surge of infections due to the more infectious delta variant.…

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Bulgaria imposes new restrictions to curb surge in COVID cases

Restaurants and bars in Bulgaria will have to close at 10 p.m. from Sept. 7, while indoor sports competitions will be held without spectators, the health minister said on Thursday,…

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UPDATED: Bulgaria to hold presidential election on Nov.14

Bulgaria will hold a presidential election on Nov. 14, lawmakers decided on Thursday, as the politically fractured country also gears up for a snap parliamentary election likely to take place…

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Bulgaria’s Socialists try to form unlikely government

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev asked the Socialist party on Friday to try to form a government, despite a slim chance of success, in a bid to avoid a third general…

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New election likely after Bulgaria’s GERB party fails to form government

Bulgaria's centre-right GERB party on Friday became the second political party to give up trying to form a new government since last month's inconclusive parliamentary poll, bringing the Balkan country…

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Elections loom as Bulgarian lawmakers allow anti-elite party to withdraw proposed govt

Bulgarian lawmakers voted on Thursday to allow the anti-establishment There Is Such a People (ITN) party to withdraw its proposed government, bringing the European Union's poorest country closer to its…

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Bulgaria’s interim government offers to revamp budget and raise pensions

Bulgaria's interim government proposes to amend the 2021 fiscal budget and use surplus revenue to boost state pensions and prepare the Balkan country for any upsurge in the COVID-19 pandemic,…

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Bulgaria faces instability as poll suggests razor-thin win for GERB

Bulgaria faced prolonged political instability on Monday after a national election appeared to result in a razor-thin victory for the anti-establishment There Is Such a People (ITN) and no clear…

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UPDATED: Bulgaria’s centre-right GERB just ahead in election, unlikely to form government

The centre-right GERB party of former prime minister Boyko Borissov has a narrow lead in Bulgaria's parliamentary election, partial official results showed on Monday, but it is unlikely to be…

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Bulgaria’s centre-right GERB party seen narrowly leading in general election-exit polls

SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria's centrе-right GERB party of former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov was seen winning Sunday's national election with around 22-23% of the vote, exit polls by Gallup International…

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Bulgarians vote in second national election in 3 months amid anger over corruption

Bulgarians vote in a parliamentary election on Sunday that will decide whether protest parties can form the next government after a decade of political dominance by long-serving premier Boyko Borissov.…

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Bulgaria’s new anti-establishment party nearly tied with GERB in polls before Sunday vote

Bulgaria's new anti-establishment party There Is Such a People (ITN) is almost tied for support with the centre-right GERB, which has been in power for most of the past decade,…

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Bulgaria considers incentives to boost COVID-19 vaccinations

Bulgaria is considering offering incentives to encourage people to get vaccinated against COVID-19, interim Prime Minister Stefan Yanev said. Bulgaria is one of the few countries where people can choose…

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Bulgaria sticks to plans to adopt the euro from Jan 1, 2024

Bulgaria is sticking to its target to adopt the euro currency from January 1, 2024 and plans to start payments in euros without any transitional period once it joins the…

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Bulgarian organized-crime police probing 14 illegal kidney transplants

Bulgarian organized-crime investigators are probing 14 cases of foreign nationals receiving kidney transplants in violation of law stipulating that donors must be family members, the interior minister said on Thursday.…

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Bulgaria’s new ITN party neck-and-neck with GERB before July election

Bulgaria's new anti-establishment party There Is Such a People (ITN) stood neck-and-neck with centre-right GERB, which has been in power for most of the past decade, ahead of a snap…

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Bulgaria’s GERB party keeps slim lead before July election

Bulgaria's centre-right GERB party has a slim lead over the anti-establishment ITN before a July 11 election, an opinion poll showed this week. It maintained its lead despite a drop…

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Bulgaria to ease rules for mask wearing indoors

Bulgaria plans to lift the compulsory wearing of face masks in gyms, hairdressing salons, small shops and offices where all workers are vaccinated as coronavirus infections decrease, a deputy health…

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Bulgaria to set up its own ‘blacklist’ after U.S. graft sanctions

Bulgaria will set up its own "blacklist" of companies and people associated with three Bulgarians and 64 entities that the United States has imposed sanctions on over alleged corruption, preventing…

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Bulgaria launches $1.55 bln guarantee scheme to support small businesses

Bulgaria will launch a new 2.5 billion levs ($1.55 billion) guarantee scheme to help small and medium businesses get bank loans and speed up its economic recovery, interim Economy Minister…

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Bulgarians welcome U.S. corruption sanctions, EU nods approval

Leading Bulgarian politicians welcomed U.S. sanctions on three Bulgarians and 64 companies linked to them over alleged corruption on Thursday, while the European Union signalled its approval by saying it…

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Gas pipeline link between Bulgaria and Greece delayed until June 2022

A gas pipeline between Greece and Bulgaria aimed at helping Sofia wean off Russian gas has hit another delay and will not become operational until June 2022, the head of…

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Bulgaria’s GERB party keeps small lead ahead of July snap poll

Bulgaria's centre-right GERB party has kept a small lead over the anti-elitist ITN grouping ahead of a July 11 snap parliamentary election despite waning popularity over its failure to uproot…

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Bulgaria’s caretaker prime minister says priority is rule of law

Bulgaria's new caretaker prime minister said on Wednesday his government's priority would be upholding the rule of law in the European Union's poorest member state. President Rumen Radev appointed Stefan Yanev, a former defence…

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President’s defence secretary to be Bulgaria caretaker PM – sources

Bulgaria's president will appoint his security and defence secretary as caretaker prime minister to lead government until a snap election is held in July, two sources familiar with the process…

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UPDATED: Bulgaria to hold early election on July 11

Bulgaria will hold a snap parliamentary election on July 11, after a third and final attempt to form a government following April 4 polls that led to a fragmented parliament…

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Bulgaria faces fresh elections as Socialists refuse to form a government

SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria will head to the polls in July after the Socialists on Saturday became the third political party to refuse to lead a government following last month's…

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Bulgaria expels Russian diplomat over arms depot blasts

SOFIA, April 29 (Reuters) - Bulgaria on Thursday announced the expulsion of a Russian diplomat after prosecutors said they suspected Russian involvement in four explosions at arms depots in Bulgaria.…

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Bulgaria reports bird flu outbreak at industrial farm

SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgarian veterinary authorities will cull 40,000 laying hens in the southern village of Trilistnik after a bird flu outbreak was confirmed at an industrial farm there, the…

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Bulgaria to ease entry rules to lure back tourists

Bulgaria, eager to encourage holiday-makers to its Black Sea resorts, will ease rules for entry to the Balkan country from May 1, its outgoing health minister Kostadin Angelov announced. “From…

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Bulgaria reports fifth bird flu outbreak at industrial farm

Bulgarian veterinary authorities will cull 40,000 laying hens in the southeastern village of Krivo Pole after a bird flu outbreak was confirmed at an industrial farm there, the fifth since…

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Bulgaria’s GERB party fails to form a government, new polls loom

Bulgaria's largest political party gave up its efforts to form a government on Friday, following a limited victory in this month's parliamentary election, boosting the spectre of a snap poll…

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UPDATED: Bulgaria’s PM Borissov says he will not lead new government

Bulgaria's long-serving Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said on Wednesday he would not be a candidate to lead the next government after his centre-right GERB party won most seats but fell…

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“Unlikely to succeed,” Bulgaria’s PM Borissov says will propose new government

SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria's long-serving prime minister, Boyko Borissov, announced plans on Wednesday to seek a coalition government after his party came first in Sunday's national election, but he said…

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UPDATED: Bulgarian PM’s party winning election partial official results show but protest parties surge

Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borissov will have difficulty holding onto power, after a surge of votes in an election on Sunday for anti-establishment and anti-corruption parties that want him out.…

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Bulgaria’s GERB party of PM Borissov wins national vote, tough talks ahead – UPDATED

Bulgaria's long-serving Prime Minister Boyko Borissov won a national election on Sunday, exit polls showed, and he is now likely to face complex coalition talks to secure another four-year mandate…

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Bulgarians elect new parliament amid COVID fears, anger over graft

Bulgarians vote in a parliamentary election on Sunday that will decide whether long-serving Prime Minister Boyko Borissov wins a fresh four-year mandate despite persistent concerns about graft in the European…

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Bulgaria’s ruling GERB extends lead ahead of Sunday’s vote, COVID could hit turnout

Bulgaria's ruling centre-right GERB party has extended its lead over the opposition Socialists ahead of Sunday's parliamentary election but is set to fall short of a majority as smaller parties…

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Bulgaria reports record-high 4,851 daily COVID-19 cases

Bulgaria reported 4,851 new cases of coronavirus over the past 24 hours, its highest daily tally on record, government health data showed on Wednesday. In total, the Balkan country of…

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Bulgaria COVID-19 hospitalisations jump to record high

The number of coronavirus patients in Bulgarian hospitals has risen to 8,545, the highest level since the start of the pandemic last March, official health data showed. A surge in…

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Bulgaria’s ruling GERB keeps pre-election lead over Socialists

Bulgaria's ruling centre-right GERB party leads the opposition Socialists two weeks before an election but is on course to fall far short of a parliamentary majority, an opinion poll published…

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UPDATED: Bulgaria announces nationwide restrictions as COVID infections rise

Bulgaria will close schools, restaurants and shopping malls until the end of March as it battles a surge in COVID-19 infections that have stretched its hospitals, the health minister said…

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Legal proceedings may delay 5G rollout in Bulgaria

Bulgaria's telecoms operator said it would hold a meeting on Monday to seek ways to boost the commercial rollout of 5G wireless networks after telecoms operator Vivacom contested in court…

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UPDATED: Bulgaria suspends rollout of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

Bulgaria on Friday temporary halted inoculations with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine until the European medicine regulator produces a written statement dispelling all doubts about the vaccine's safety. "Until all doubts…

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Bulgaria reports highest new Covid cases in three months

Bulgaria reported 3,502 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, its highest daily tally in three months, while the number of deaths increased to 132, government data showed. The Balkan country, which…

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Photo Story: Celebration of Shrovetide in Bulgaria

A child spins a fireball near a bonfire during the celebration of Shrovetide in the village Goren Lozen near Sofia, Bulgaria, on Sunday night. Shrovetide is the last day Orthodox…

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Air France flight made emergency landing in Bulgaria over disruptive passenger

SOFIA (Reuters) - An Air France flight en route from Paris to New Delhi made an emergency landing at Sofia Airport in Bulgaria on Friday at about 5 p.m. (1500…

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Bulgaria accuses AstraZeneca of taking country’s vaccine ‘hope’ away

Bulgaria’s health minister has accused AstraZeneca of failing to stick to its delivery schedule of COVID-19 vaccines to the country and demanded the immediate shipment of at least 52,800 doses…

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Bulgaria to open restaurants from March, nightclubs from April

Bulgaria will reopen restaurants from March and lift a ban on nightclubs from April, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said on Wednesday, betting on a vaccination programme and a solid number…

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Bulgaria to cull over 160,000 ducks after bird flu outbreak

SOFIA, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Bulgaria will cull more than 160,000 ducks after an outbreak of bird flu on two duck farms, veterinary officials said on Saturday. The outbreak occurred…

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Europol investigation leads to arrests for forging money and documents in Bulgaria

Six persons were arrested after Europol supported the Bulgarian authorities in taking down an organised crime group involved in currency and document counterfeiting. During the operation, the Bulgarian authorities dismantled…

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Bulgaria to ease some COVID-19 rules, restaurants closed for now

Bulgaria will ease some coronavirus restrictions from February 4 though restaurants will remain closed for now due to concerns about the new coronavirus variant, officials said on Saturday. The move…

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Bulgaria nuclear reactor shut after automatic defences activate

The Kozloduy nuclear power plant in Bulgaria has shut down one of its two 1,000 megawatt units after a protection system was activated at its Unit 5 following a routine…

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Photo Story: Icy river dip for Epiphany celebrations in Bulgaria

Men jump into the icy water of a lake to recover a wooden cross during celebrations of Epiphany Day in Sofia, Bulgaria, 06 January 2021. The swimmers competed to find…

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Russia expels Bulgarian diplomat in tit-for-tat move

Russia's Foreign Ministry on Monday declared a Bulgarian diplomat persona non grata in a tit-for-tat move after the expulsion of a Russian diplomat by Sofia. Bulgarian authorities earlier this month…

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