Plovdiv: a Small Economic Miracle with Plummeting Living Standards?

Local elections are coming in just days, and Novinite is fully aware it did not provide the campaign coverage a news outlet covering a particular country usually does whatever vote is forthcoming.

This was avoided on purpose, and in a short opinion piece after the vote we will explain why. Instead, we are offering short summaries about key candidates in Bulgaria's five biggest cities. These are Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, and Veliko Tarnovo.

Far from being an "extended ballot" - i.e. a full list of candidates with acclarations - each one is a selection of several candidates - either those who belong to one of the biggest parties or whose bid can easily be singled out for something in particular.

After the summary about key candidates in the capital Sofia, Plovdiv, Buglaria's second-biggest city, comes next - with summaries arranged in random order. Whoever wins will have to prepare the city for 2019, when Plovdiv will be European Capital of Culture along with Italy's Matera. The new Mayor will also have to manage efficiently the consequences of the city's recent economic boom, partly fueled by a revival of IT, outsourcing, and cultural activities - consequences which some candidates suggest are far from being only positive.

Georgi Gergov (BSP)

Georgi Gergov, an entrepreneur who heads the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP)'s organization in Plovdiv, has often described himself as "The Mayor of Change" - which is also the slogan of his campaign.

In his words, it is time for the country's second-largest contributor to GDP to boost income, where Plovdiv is lagging far behind a number of towns and cities across Bulgaria. Plovdiv should use its well-developed...