Europe Bulgaria Illegally-built Roma homes in Sofia have been flattened despite European Court of Human Rights ruled demolition shouldn't proceed until a legal challenge is resolved; The 2016 decision to demolish follows Spatial Planning Act and locals were notified
Europe Bulgaria Nationalist and anti-fascist marches were held in Sofia on the same day: far-right factions gathered to commemorate controversial general Hristo Lukov in the annual so-called Lukov March while a “No Nazis on our streets” demonstration was held earlier
Europe Bulgaria With house prices in Bulgaria's ten largest cities having risen by 25-26% over the past two years, more and more people are buying real estate, with or without loans, fearing that house prices will rise further after the country joins the Eurozone
Europe Bulgaria Bulgaria had the highest total fertility rate in the EU in 2023 with 1,81 live births per woman, followed by France (1,66) and Hungary (1,55), according to Eurostat data released on Friday 7 March 2024
Europe Bulgaria Bulgaria's Central Energy Repair Base is carrying out repairs to the Pljevlja thermal power plant, Montenegro's only coal-fired plant, which generates about a third of the country's electricity and plays a key role in the energy infrastructure
Europe Bulgaria The shadow economy remains high, at 33% and Bulgaria shows the highest tolerance for the shadow economy compared to the rest of the European Union according to a study by the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Europe Bulgaria The cost of driving courses will rise even further, with prices exceeding 2.000 leva (1.000 euro); Yonko Ivanov, president of the Union of Car and Motorcycle Instructors, explained that they must adapt to European standards and technological advances
Europe Bulgaria In December, registered unemployment in Bulgaria reached a record low, falling below 150.000 for the first time, marking a registered unemployment rate of 5,23%
Europe Bulgaria Encroachments in Bulgarian forest areas decreased by over 60% in 2024 compared to 2023, said the Ministry of Agriculture and Food; 631.000 inspections were carried out in 2024
Europe Bulgaria In the historic town of Koprivshtitsa, 591 songbirds of a protected species died due to stress caused by fireworks on New Year's Eve, environmentalists from 'Green Balkans' reported
Europe Bulgaria In the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the European Union the last vote took place for Bulgaria's full entry into the Schengen area; the vote established the abolition of land controls as of 1 January 2025
Europe Bulgaria The draft budget for 2025 foresees an increase in funds for education from 4,1% to 4,8% of the country's gross domestic product, +0,7% compared to last year
Europe Bulgaria Foreign direct investment recorded a positive net inflow of €1,24bn in the first nine months of 2024, equivalent to 1,2% of the GDP, according to data from the Bulgarian National Bank, a decrease of 63,3% compared to the same period in 2023