Austria

As Bulgaria anticipates the full integration into the Schengen Agreement, a potential hurdle looms on the horizon, suggesting delays that could extend beyond the initially projected 2025 timeline.

Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov's strategic diplomacy at the European Council has yielded promising results as Bulgaria gears up for full acceptance into the Eurozone and Schengen by January 1, 2025.

Romanian MEP Eugen Tomac asserts that Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece can form a regional Schengen agreement without requiring the consent of the European Commission. In an interview with BTA, Tomac dismissed concerns of Austria opposing such an arrangement, emphasizing that the Commission only needs to be informed.

Workers in Austria are guaranteed a 30% increase in their net salary as soon as they have a second child, as deductions for taxes and social security are reduced. The Germans have the same treatment. The Belgians are even more fortunate, with an increase of 32%, the French are limited to 24% and the Czechs to 21%.

In December 2023, travel to and from Bulgaria increased compared to the same month in the previous year, according to data from the National Statistical Institute. The number trips of Bulgarians abroad for this month has reached 649.1 thousand, increasing by 7.3% compared to December 2022.

Eurostat provided the latest data on educational methods in the member states of the European Union on January 24th*, with a particular focus on those related to online education.

In a recent interview with GERB MEP Andrey Novakov, Bulgaria's trajectory toward Schengen and Eurozone accession came under the spotlight. Novakov, expressing confidence, hinted at the possibility of securing a 2025 entry date into the land-based Schengen zone once Austria forms a new government.

The travel organizing platform eSky.bg announced that Italy is the most preferred destination among Bulgarians for 2023. Nearly half of the travelers (44%) for a period of 2-3 days have chosen Italy for their vacation, with Rome, Milan, Venice, Bari, Bologna, Catania, and Naples being the most preferred destinations.

Türkiye has emerged as the leading nation globally for the highest number of cigarettes smoked, earning the disconcerting distinction with 17.1 cigarettes per capita per day, according to a European Union (EU) Statistics Office report.

DAVOS - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic says deployment of Croatian combat vehicles near the border with Serbia will be no particular threat to Serbia.