Bulgarian protests against the first Borisov cabinet

Bulgarian Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova has turned down a proposal by employers' organizations that potential investors should be sought to replace AES and ContourGlobal as shareholders at thermal power plants.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has criticized employers' organizations over their demand that a hike of electricity prices for industrial consumers be postponed.

Power prices for industries are set to rise by 15-20% from August, and the national energy regulator KEVR is to officially confirm the move on Friday, July 31.

Business unions in Bulgaria say more than 1000 companies are to protest in 28 cities across the country against a planned hike of power prices.

Electricity bills for industrial consumers are set to go up by 13-20% from August 1, after a long dispute between the national energy regulator and businesses.

Two bills introducing changes to Bulgaria's Energy Act passed first reading in Parliament on Tuesday.

The two bills had been submitted by center-right party Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) and right-wing formation the Reformist Bloc.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker expressed his gratitude to Bulgaria and its Prime Minister Boyko Borisov for the country's announced contribution to the Investment Plan.

Earlier on Tuesday, it was announced that Bulgaria will contribute EUR 100 M towards projects financed by the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI).

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has summoned a meeting of all ministers over the planned increase in electricity prices for industrial consumers as of July 1.

Sunday's meeting at the Council of Ministers building in Sofia is to also include energy experts, according to reports of the Bulgarian National Television.

According to the latest opinion poll of Exacta, the first months of the second term of Boyko Borisov as Prime Minister garnered a higher approval rating among Bulgarians than his first tenure.

The negative views on the government's policies continued to prevail over the positive ones, with 54 % of Bulgarians expressing dissatisfaction, while 32 % were content.

Bulgarian Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova announced that the long-term contracts between the National Electricity Company (NEK) and the two thermal power plants AES Maritza East 1 and ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3 will be renegotiated.

Petkova stated this during a conference at which she presented account of her first 100 days in office, Focus news agency reports.

Prime Minister Boyko Borisov is the most mentioned figure in Bulgarian media in 2014, shows the joint media monitoring of the foundations Media Democracy and Konrad Adenauer, released on Tuesday.

Borisov was mentioned 3908 times in eight leading Bulgarian media (4 daily newspapers and 4 TV stations) in 2014.

Sixty-one percent of Bulgarians believe the minority coalition government led by Prime Minister Boyko Borisov should complete its four-year term of office, a new survey showed on Thursday.