Bulgarian News Agency /BTA/ - English Service

16/01/2026

✌️ The successful GERB-UDF bill received 11 votes in favour, 4 against and 3 abstentions.

On Friday, the National Assembly Legal Affairs Committee approved at first reading a GERB-UDF bill to close the Anti-Corruption Commission. Bills submitted by Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) and by the Movement for Rights and

16/01/2026

❌ After visiting a renovated sports hall in Kratovo on Friday, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski stated that "good news for Macedonian citizens" is expected in the coming days. ❌

The inclusion of North Macedonia in the list of 75 countries for which the US has frozen processing of applications for immigrant visas continues to be a major topic in the country.

16/01/2026

🎞️ Over 50 Feature, Documentary, and Short Films in This Year's Middle East, Central Asia, and North Africa Film Festival in Sofia

🎞️ Read more here:
https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/1045170-over-50-feature-documentary-and-short-films-in-this-year-s-sofia-menar-festiva

16/01/2026

⚡ The energy dependency in 2023 increased by 2.61 percentage points, up to 39.72% in comparison to the previous year, NSI data shows. ⚡

The energy dependency in 2024 increased by 2.424 percentage points, up to 41.936% compared to the previous year, the National Statistical Institute (NSI) announced on its website.

16/01/2026

🧑‍⚖️ The largest opposition parliamentary group will press the Committee to consider a draft declaration they moved on January 13, insisting that the Supreme Judicial Council elect a new acting prosecutor general and that Sarafov vacate office immediately. 🧑‍⚖️

Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria will urge the National Assembly Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee to take urgent action for the removal of Borislav Sarafov as acting prosecutor general.

16/01/2026

🇪🇺 The European Commission now has direct supervisory powers over major online platforms, and the goal of the EU’s new digital legislation is not to impose fines but to ensure compliance with European rules, Bulgarian MEP Eva Maydell of the European People’s Party (GERB-UDF), co-rapporteur of the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act), told BTA in an interview.

The interview was conducted as part of an initiative supported by the European Parliament and dedicated to the implementation of European legislation in Bulgaria. In the interview, Maydell commented on the European Commission’s readiness to exercise effective oversight over major technology companies, the role of national institutions, restrictions on targeted and personalized advertising, and the place of the new regulations in the broader debate on the EU’s technological sovereignty.

🇪🇺 The entire interview read here
https://www.bta.bg/en/news/economy/1044669-aim-of-eu-s-digital-regulations-not-fines-but-compliance-by-large-online-platfor

16/01/2026

❌ Returning the mandate, ARF Floor Leader Hayri Sadakov said: “Our parliamentary group authorized me to return the third exploratory mandate unfulfilled, so that through joint efforts we can move towards holding fair, transparent, free and democratic elections”.

The Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (ARF) returned the third exploratory government-forming mandate to President Rumen Radev unfulfilled, immediately after it was handed to them by the head of State on Friday. The President handed over the mandate

15/01/2026

🗳️ The bill aims to restore fully machine-based voting as the primary and sole method, except in cases explicitly provided for by law, in order to reduce invalid ballots and human errors in vote counting, the CC–DB said. 🗳️

Members of the parliamentary committee on constitutional and legal affairs are debating at second reading a consolidated bill amending the Election Code, which incorporates bills adopted at first reading submitted by Vazrazhdane, There Is Such a

15/01/2026

❌ The draft was submitted by the GERB Chair Boyko Borissov and a group of MPs, who argued that this temporary commission goes beyond the competence of the National Assembly, as MPs have no legal basis to investigate private individuals or foundations.

On Thursday, MPs debated a bill on the early termination of the parliamentary ad-hoc Committee to establish facts and circumstances regarding the activities of George Soros and Alexander Soros and their Foundations on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria

15/01/2026

🚁 In October 2025, a heliport was also opened at the Tota Venkova Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment in Gabrovo by outgoing Health Minister Silvi Kirilov. 🚁

A second hospital heliport was opened in Gabrovo on Thursday by outgoing Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadjov at the Sveti Ivan Rilski Multidisciplinary Hospital for Active Treatment.

15/01/2026

👉 Alliance for Rights and Freedoms to Accept Third Cabinet-Forming Mandate 👇

Read more here
https://www.bta.bg/en/news/bulgaria/1044126-alliance-for-rights-and-freedoms-to-accept-third-cabinet-forming-mandate

15/01/2026

👉 If this third and last cabinet forming mandate fails as well, the President consults the parliamentary groups and appoints a caretaker government and schedules new parliamentary elections within two months. 👇

On January 16, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev will mandate the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (ARF) Parliamentary Group to nominate a prime minister-designate, the head of State's Press Secretariat said here on Thursday.