12 gold passports have been revoked and procedure for 5 more is ongoing, out of 120 passports for investments that had been issued; the programme was recently shelved due to criticism by the EC for irregularities in granting citizenship to investors

Von der Leyen’s trip to Bulgaria included a visit to state-owned weapons plant in Sopot, where expansion is planned for a thousand new workplaces; as she praised aid given to Ukraine’s defence, supporters of Revival and Greatness party staged a protest

Political chaos has created a media vacuum in which citizens are vulnerable to disinformation and Kremlin-led narratives proliferate; with highest rate of news avoidance and lowest media literacy in Europe, a better enforcement of existing rules is needed

A sharp rise in counterfeit banknotes circulating has been registered, with the second quarter of 2025 seeing a record of fakes circulating, especially in the 100 leva bills, as Bulgaria stands on the verge of adopting the euro

Admirers of traditional Bulgarian carpet craftsmanship gathered for the "Iglika Kilim Fest," a celebration that turned the local meadows into an open-air museum of kilim, antique hand-woven rugs; 965 rugs were displayed across a ten-acre area