European Parliament

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev has appointed former MP Metin Suleymanov from the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) member of the Central Electoral Commission.

The lawmaker becomes part of CEC after Parliament approved on Tuesday an amendment to the recently-voted Election Code envisaging that the Commission be strengthened by one member, from 19 to 20.

EP's Serbia rapporteur "unlikely" to be reelected as MEP

BELGRADE -- European Parliament rapporteur for Serbia Jelko Kacin will "most likely" end his career as a MEP, writes the Belgrade daily Politika.

The Slovenian politician will not head the European elections list of the ruling Positive Slovenia party, reports the newspaper.

The construction of the Bulgarian part of the South Stream pipeline will start in May or June in Varna, said Igor Elkin, executive director of the company South Stream Bulgaria. 

With one month to go before European elections in Romania, the candidates of 15 parties and alliances and eight independent candidates are gearing up to compete for the elections on 25 May.

Romania will have 32 seats in the future European Parliament, compared to 33 at present.

By Costas Iordanidis

The case of Sabiha Suleiman, the Roma activist whose candidacy for the European Parliament was announced by SYRIZA only to be withdrawn shortly afterward, is an illustration of the leftist opposition party's inexperience and immaturity.

Bulgaria's official stance on the South Stream gas pipeline project has to oppose its suspension, according to former two-term Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov.

Eighty-seven Bulgarian municipalities are to be fined over infringements related to the Environment Operational Program.

The penalties count reach a total of BGN 180 M (EUR 90 M), after abuse during public procurement procedures was found out by the Ministry of Environment and Waters, Investor.bg has reported.

15 political parties, 6 coalitions and 6 independent candidates submitted documents for participating in the European Parliament elections in Bulgaria on May 25.

The deadline for the registration of lists of candidates with the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) expired late on Tuesday, according to reports of Sega daily.

SYRIZA confirmed on Tuesday, following some two weeks of deliberations, that Thrace-based Roma activist Sabiha Suleiman will not stand as a candidate with the leftist party in the May 25 European Parliament elections.

SYRIZA has opted for Oumit Mestan Osman, a member of the region’s Muslim minority, instead.

The importance European Parliament's resolution demanding that the South Steam project be stopped "should not be exaggerated" Bulgaria's Foreign Minister said on Tuesday.