Issue 210

The planet is getting warmer and humanity is increasingly aware of the dangers, but the war in Ukraine and the crisis of energy supplies that ensued put to the test the efforts for adopting new green policies. For a number of political and economical reasons, in 2022 Bulgaria seemed particularly vulnerable to changes in the global energy sector. What is the outlook for the country's energy supply for 2024 and beyond? We decided to discuss the topic with a woman with unique insight in the field.

Тo understand the current predicament of the Changes Continued political party, one of whose leaders, Kiril Petkov, was prime minister in 2021-2022, one needs to consider the characteristically complicated background.

Kiril Petkov and his mate, Asen Vasilev, are both Harvard-educated economists who returned to Bulgaria and started their own businesses. Their ascend into politics was somewhat unexpected. They were put forward by... President Rumen Radev.

Organisers of the notorious Burning Man festival seem to have heeded the lessons of 2023 when festival-goers, paying uprwards of $500 for a ticket, had to wade, owing to torrential rains and flashfloods, through tons of mud in the northern Nevada desert. It has just been announecd that the next iteration of Larry Harvey and Jerry James's creation will be held in Novo Selo, in southern Bulgaria.

So what has a senior cleric, Patriarch Neofit, who died in March aged 78, done to deserve a state funeral replete with military salutes and a coffin being drawn by... an armoured personnel carrier?

In Bulgaria, nature has created a number of little wonders. They might not be spectacular or grandiose, but they constitute a vital part of the local wildlife, create a feeling of uniqueness and are sometimes the sole survivors of bygone geological epochs. Many of these are plants, and some are animals. Here is a list of our favourite little Bulgarian wonders of nature.

Haberlea rhodopensis

We must not look as though we are not determined to go on with reforms.

Hristo Ivanov, Co-Chairman of CC-DB

GERB has a single leader. If I meet with 5-6 people I will be outnumbered. These people do not behave. If you were in a meeting where Kiril Petkov breaks bottles and glass on the table, would you want a leaders' meeting?

Boyko Borisov, leader of GERB, on why he avoids meeting with the leaders of the CC-DB coalition

Next time you visit Sozopol, pay more attention not to the quaint houses in the Old Town, the beaches around or the quality of food and service in the restaurants. Instead, take a stroll by the sea and take in... the rocks.

In recent months the telltale Soviet soldier waving a submachine gun is gone and the whole compound has been fenced off. It is being protected round the clock by Bulgarian police. Opponents of the monument, who disparagingly refer to its as the MOCHA, want it knocked down completely and immediately. Supporters however say removing it will be an affront to this country's 20th century history. The anti and pro groups are at their necks as both like to use historical events to justify current political ambitions. Their confrontation is unlikely to subside any time soon.

Bulgaria's Ottoman heritage is the most neglected part of the rich past of this nation. This is a result of the trauma of five centuries spent under Ottoman domination additionally fanned up under Communism and up until this day. From the 1390s to the 1870s, Bulgarians were subjects of an empire that, at the height of its power, stretched over three continents. Many of those years were peaceful and allowed Bulgarians to look after their families, flocks and fields, to build businesses and to carve a place, however limited, in a Muslim-dominated society.

1. Bulgaria's longest cave is closed for tourists and is called...

A. Devil's Throat

B. Devetaki

C. Duhlata

2. Which town is named after a medieval Bulgarian ruler?

A. Omurtag

B. Sofia

C. Burgas

3. The Bulgarian version of polenta is called...

A. Mamaliga

B. Kachamak

C. Lyutenitsa

As the official symbol of Bulgaria, lions can be seen everywhere, from the national coat of arms to architectural ornaments to "patriotic" tattoos. But if you look closely at the façades in central Sofia, you might have the impression that the nation has another symbolic animal, the eagle.

Оne of the (many) notable things Marcus Tullius Cicero said over 20 centuries ago is that "to live is to think" – and if we are not ashamed of what we think we should not be ashamed to voice it. His prophetic adages have a particular relevance in a world dominated by social networks, fake news and manipulative media where one of the most important things for every individual is to make their thoughts heard, loud and clear. And it is impossible to attain that unless you are trained to debate.

Christina is now back on these pages owing to her participation in the Business Lady Excellence 2024 event in Sofia at the end of March.

Business Lady Excellence has a 15-year history of connecting leading personalities from Bulgaria, Europe and the Americas. Its main aim is to gather together inspiring women from business, politics, culture, technology and social life, and to foster expanded business and personal development.