Center for the Study of Democracy

Russian energy giant Lukoil has announced plans to sell its largest asset in the Balkans, the refinery in Burgas, Bulgaria, to a Qatari-British consortium by the end of the year, marking a significant shift in Moscow's influence over energy supplies in Southeastern Europe, as reported by the Financial Times.

According to the Austrian newspaper Der Standard, the pro-Russian party "Revival" (Vazrazhdane) has the potential to become the second-largest political force in Bulgaria following the upcoming elections on October 27. This shift could pave the way for closer ties with Russia.

In the first half of 2024, Western allies, including Bulgaria, the European Union and the United States, purchased around 2 billion dollars worth of oil products from Turkey that were refined from Russian crude oil, according to a report by the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) and the Center for Energy and Clean Air (CREA).

At the international conference "Building resilience against foreign interference and manipulation of information," Ruslan Stefanov, program director of the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD), highlighted that a significant portion of Bulgaria's population holds either neutral or favorable views towards Russia.

Bulgaria ranks near the bottom in global competitiveness, placing 58th out of 67 countries in the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2024 by the Swiss business school IMD, as reported by the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD). This ranking indicates no progress since 2021 and a decline of 10 positions since 2020 and 20 since 2009.

A recent survey by the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD), in collaboration with the Central European Digital Media Observatory and the Hungarian Media Observatory, reveals that nearly 70% of Bulgarian citizens believe in conspiracy theories.

A recent study conducted by the Center for the Study of Democracy (CID) reveals that 58% of Bulgarians are willing to take up arms and defend their country if it were to come under attack, while 42% are not.

Corruption in Bulgaria has soared to its third highest peak in history, according to a recent report by the Center for the Study of Democracy. The findings indicate a significant failure in anti-corruption efforts by governmental institutions.

The Minister of Defense Todor Tagarev participated in the conference "Countering hybrid threats from unconventional weapons in the Black Sea region", which was held today, November 28, in Sofia. The forum is organized by the Center for the Study of Democracy and the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation at the US State Department.

In a compelling statement at the forum "Anti-corruption, democratic stability, and economic security" in Sofia, European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kovesi emphasized the critical role of combating financial abuse in ensuring security.