Europe Bulgaria In the first half of the year, Sofia recorded a 12% increase in tourist arrivals compared to the same period last year; the number of registered overnight stays also increased by 10%, with almost 60% of foreign visitors
Europe Bulgaria Speeding remains the most common offence, with 302.949 violations recorded in Sofia this year, over 32.000 more than the previous year
Europe Bulgaria An underwater training at 1.000m, with a water temperature of 1°C, was conducted by the Bulgarian military at the Iskar dam focusing on reconnaissance, setting up and passing water fences
Europe Bulgaria In view of the introduction of the euro, the country is upgrading its services and payment systems to align with the new currency, as indicated in the National Plan
Europe Bulgaria An imported case of cholera has been confirmed in Bulgaria, the first reported in 103 years
Europe Bulgaria From 2029, wood and coal heating will be completely banned in Sofia and the entire municipality will be designated as a low-emission zone
Europe Bulgaria Protesters in Sofia staged a new demonstration against an amendment banning 'propaganda' for LGBTQ+ issues in schools; nationalists held a counter-demonstration, demanding even stricter measures
Europe Bulgaria The Bulgarian parliament adopted a law banning the 'propaganda' of 'non-traditional sexual orientations' in schools, sparking outrage and calls for protest; drafted by the pro-Russian Revival party, it also won the support of pro-Western factions
Europe Bulgaria The modernisation of Bulgaria's railways will come to a halt after Stadler Polska, the leading manufacturer that won contracts for seven double-decker locomotives and thirty-five regional locomotives, cancelled the agreement
Europe Bulgaria The European Commission stated that it has decided to refer Bulgaria to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to transpose the European Accessibility of Products and Services for Persons with Disabilities Act into its national legislation
Europe Bulgaria The government avoided protests from pharmacies by agreeing to pay higher fees to pharmacies that provide free medicines to patients; some pharmacies in large cities had started to stop work for two hours a day
Europe Bulgaria The national COVID-19 control system and the unified information portal, coronavirus.bg, ceased operation on 1 July and information will now be published weekly in the epidemic situation reports
Europe Bulgaria Despite relatively high salaries, the country faces a growing shortage of lifeguards for the season, and additional state requirements imposed by a new ordinance two months ago may have contributed to the problem