At a ceremony lasting less than 10 minutes at a special sitting of Bulgaria’s National Assembly on April 9, the Dimitar Glavchev caretaker government took the oath of office. Earlier in the day, the office of President Roumen Radev announced that the head of state had issued the decrees appointing the caretaker government – with a change in the foreign affairs portfolio from the initial list presented by Glavchev – and setting June 9 as the date for regular elections of Bulgaria’s members of the European Parliament as well as early parliamentary elections. Bulgaria’s ambassador to Montenegro ..read more

Bulgarian head of state President Roumen Radev has signed decrees on the Dimitar Glavchev caretaker government and on the holding of early parliamentary elections and European Parliament elections on June 9, the presidency’s website said on April 9. Bulgaria’s European Parliament elections are scheduled regular elections as part of those being held across the bloc in June 2024, while the early parliamentary elections are the result of the failure to reach agreement on a government after the March 2024 resignation of the Nikolai Denkov Cabinet. In the list of caretaker ministers, there is a ch ..read more

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the eparchy of Saint John XXIII for Catholic faithful of Byzantine rite in Bulgaria presented by Bishop Christo Proykov, the Vatican said on April 8. According to the current statute in the Roman Catholic Church, after reaching the age of 75, bishops resign, which becomes effective after its acceptance by the Pope. Proykov has headed the diocese since 1995. Bishop Proykov submitted his resignation to Pope Francis in March 2021, which has been accepted as of today with the appointment of the new bishop for the d ..read more

The Speaker of Bulgaria’s National Assembly, Rossen Zhelyazkov, has convened a special sitting of Parliament on April 9 at 9am for the swearing-in of the Dimitar Glavchev caretaker government. The same day, head of state President Roumen Radev is to issue decrees on the date of Bulgaria’s European Parliament elections and the country’s latest early parliamentary elections, both to be held on June 9. Glavchev presented his proposed Cabinet to Radev on April 5. The June 9 National Assembly elections will be Bulgaria’s sixth parliamentary elections in just more than three years, and the Gl ..read more

Bulgaria’s mountain resort of Bansko is the country’s only ski destination still continuing its season, after Borovets and Pamporovo ended their seasons early because of this year’s warm spring weather. Borovets and Pamporovo terminated their seasons on April 3, in spite of earlier intentions to continue until about April 14. Pamporovo’s official website said: “We say ciao to winter, but not goodbye, the summer season is ahead”. Borovets’s website said: “Despite our overwhelming desire, the high temperatures are preventing the ski zone from staying open. See you in the summer in Borovets”. Vi ..read more

In February 2024, most European Union countries reported an increase in prices for meat, compared with February 2023, EU statistics agency Eurostat said on April 5. The highest increase was recorded in Bulgaria (+8.2 per cent), followed by Romania (+7.7 per cent) and Croatia (+7.1 per cent). In contrast, three countries recorded a decrease in the prices for meat: Czechia (-5.1 per cent), Finland (-2.2 per cent) and Denmark (-0.6 per cent) In February 2024, the price of meat in the EU was 3.3 per cent higher than in February 2023. Pork meat recorded the highest increase at 5.7 per ce ..read more

Bulgaria’s caretaker Prime Minister-designate Dimitar Glavchev presented on April 5 his nominees for the caretaker government that is to take office within days. Prime Minister – Dimitar Glavchev Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance – Lyudmila Petkova Interior – Kalin Stoyanov Minister of Regional Development and Public Works – Violeta Koritarova Minister of Labour and Social Policy – Ivaylo Ivanov Minister of Defence – Gen. Atanas Zapryanov Minister of Foreign Affairs – Ivaylo Varbanov Tsenov Minister of Justice – Maria Pavlova Minister of Education and Science – Galin Tsoko ..read more

Prosecutors in Bulgaria have lodged charges of participating in an organised crime group against the head of the Customs Agency and three others, but detractors have called the move into question as possibly linked to the country’s forthcoming early parliamentary elections. The four accused – Customs Agency chief Petya Bankova, controversial figure Nikola “Pascal” Nikolov and father-and-son Martin and Stefan Dimitrov of Haskovo – have been ordered into 72-hour custody by prosecutors. The April 4 announcement by the Prosecutor’s Office follows an operation the previous day by the State Agency ..read more

Bulgaria’s outgoing Nikolai Denkov government published a list on April 4 of what it sees as its achievements in office. It said that in its last month in office, the elected Cabinet mobilised every effort “to advance the most important decisions for the benefit of people and the private sector, so that the transition to a caretaker governmen is smooth and the state does not stop working, regardless of the complicated political situation”. This is its statement: “The economic growth of Bulgaria continues The Bulgarian economy is growing against the backdrop of the contraction in Europe – by 1 ..read more

Bulgaria’s outgoing Minister of Transport and Communications, Georgi Gvozdeikov, signed on April 4 decision to select a contractor for the delivery of seven double-decker trains, which will be purchased with funds under the EU’s Recovery and Sustainability Plan, the ministry said. The public procurement was opened in the middle of February, and at the end of March the bids of the participants were opened. The evaluation showed that the offer of Polish company Stadler Polska Sp. z o. o. meets all the requirements, the statement said. The proposed price is 300 513 279.50, and the rolling stock ..read more