Podcast in English

"Strasbourg Calling" Before the report on North Macedonia and the red light "Macedonian identity and language"

"What we have let slip, we have let slip over the last 20 years, not yesterday or the day before." This was stated to the Bulgarian National Radio by Ivaylo Valchev, MEP from the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), before today's vote in..

published on 7/9/25 12:15 PM
Татяна Буруджиева

Political scientist Assoc. Prof. Burudzhieva: 'In Bulgaria, the no-confidence vote has drifted away from its true purpose.'

At the end of last week, we witnessed the third consecutive failed vote of no confidence against the government of Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov. This time, the motion was initiated by Vazrazhdane (Revival), the third largest parliamentary political..

published on 7/7/25 1:58 PM

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Spas Tashev: Every "Macedonian identity" also includes Bulgarians

The draft report on the progress of North Macedonia on its path to European integration has been a hot Balkan topic in recent weeks, after rapporteur Thomas Weitz included in the document concepts such as "Macedonian identity" and..

published on 7/5/25 12:35 PM

EC greenlights changes to Bulgaria's RRP

The European Commission has given a positive assessment of Bulgaria’s amended Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP). According to BNR correspondent in Brussels Angelina Piskova, the document includes a special chapter dedicated to attaining independence..

published on 7/2/25 4:54 PM
GERB leader Boyko Borissov

Boyko Borissov: The government is making efforts to resolve the issues with North Macedonia

Bulgaria’s National Assembly rejected the proposal by the Vazrazhdane party to summon Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev for a hearing regarding the vote by the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, which adopted a report on North Macedonia’s..

published on 6/25/25 12:09 PM

MEP Ivaylo Valchev: All Bulgarian MEPs are united on the North Macedonia issue

The European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee adopted the draft report on the Republic of North Macedonia's progress towards EU integration, with 40 votes in favour, 19 against and 10 abstentions. All Bulgarian proposals were rejected, including..

published on 6/24/25 3:28 PM

Balkan developments

Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina refused to sign the SEECP declaration The summit of the South East European Cooperation Process (SEЕCP), held in Tirana under the Albanian presidency, ended without Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina..

published on 6/20/25 12:30 PM

Skopje's anti-Bulgarian lobbying in Brussels and what Bulgaria is doing to counter it

Lobbying, negligence or even a breach in national security - how does Skopje manages to learn in advance about Bulgarian proposals related to European documents? This question came after the Prime Minister of our south-western..

published on 6/9/25 5:25 PM

New tensions along the Sofia–Skopje axis: Will Bulgaria be able to defend its interests in the European Parliament?

Another peak in tensions between Sofia and Skopje. The reason is the upcoming vote on June 4 in the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs on a declaration regarding the progress of the Republic of North Macedonia in its integration..

published on 6/2/25 2:42 PM

Balkan developments

Euro-subsidies scandal rocks Greece The Greek government has announced it will close down the Payment and Control Agency for Guidance and Guarantee Community Aid (OPEKEPE), the organization handling the payment of the EU's Common Agricultural..

published on 5/30/25 2:53 PM