Bulgaria: property market cools in big cities

The Bulgarian property market appears to be cooling off in the major urban centers, with growth slowing and rental prices increasingly seen as disconnected from actual value. Though official figures from the National Statistical Institute for the first quarter are not yet published, preliminary estimates suggest a modest rise in prices – between 5% and…

Bulgaria: Prime Minister backs “Balkan Stream” as EU plots full break from Russian gas

Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov has reaffirmed that the “Balkan Stream” pipeline remains a functional and commercially viable energy project, despite the latest push by the European Commission to end Europe’s dependence on Russian gas. Zhelyazkov stressed that the pipeline was not politically driven, but rather a well-structured business initiative that contributed significantly to energy security…

Bulgaria: government takes on another 300 million leva in domestic debt after Eurozone green light

Bulgaria has secured an additional 300 million leva in debt from the domestic market, according to the results of the latest government securities auction held by the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB). This is the first bond issue following the favorable assessments from both the European Central Bank and the European Commission regarding Bulgaria’s progress toward…