Ruslan Stefanov

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.

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.

If the resources of the European Commission's Just Transition Fund are increased, after 31 December, 2024, a green mechanism will be introduced rewarding the countries which have reduced industrial emissions of greenhouse gases.

The Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) presents today two studies for 2020 - on public attitudes towards democracy, democratic transition and on the way Bulgarian MEPs vote.

Bulgaria is the most vulnerable country to Russian influence in Central and Eastern Europe, showed data from a survey of the Centre for the Study of Democracy, carried out in 5 countries - Bulgaria, Serbia, Latvia, Hungary and Slovakia.

The most significant imprint of Russian influence on Bulgaria's economy is energy dependence, reckon experts.