2025 in Bulgaria
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Events in the year 2025 in Bulgaria.
Incumbents
[edit]- President: Rumen Radev
- Prime Minister: Dimitar Glavchev (until 16 January); Rosen Zhelyazkov (16 January onwards)
Events
[edit]January
[edit]- 1 January – Bulgaria and Romania join the Schengen Area.[1]
- 16 January – The National Assembly approves a coalition government between GERB, the BSP and the ITN led by Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov of GERB.[2]
February
[edit]- 6 February – The National Assembly votes against a bill from the pro-Russian Vazrazhdane party on foreign-funded NGOs. The bill is rejected after 112 MPs vote against, 38 support it and 48 abstain.[3]
- 22 February – A door at the Sofia branch of the European Commission is set on fire by protesters organized by the pro-Russian Vazrazhdane party demonstrating against Bulgaria's adoption of the euro.[4]
- 26 February – The Constitutional Court of Bulgaria orders a recount of votes cast in the October 2024 Bulgarian parliamentary election after voting discrepancies are found in half of polling stations sampled as part of an audit.[5]
March
[edit]- 14 March – The 51st National Assembly of Bulgaria is reconvened with adjustments made following the recount, which sees the Velichie party entering parliament.[6]
April
[edit]- 3 April – The Zhelzyazkov government survives a no-confidence motion filed by Vazrazhdane in the National Assembly.[7]
- 17 April – The Zhelzyazkov government survives a no-confidence motion filed by MECh in the National Assembly.[8]
June
[edit]- 4 June – The European Union approves Bulgaria's adoption of the euro, becoming the 21st member state of the eurozone effective 1 January 2026.[9]
July
[edit]- 20 July – Authorities seize a van at the border with Turkey in Haskovo Province carrying nearly 206 kilograms of cocaine valued at 20 million euros ($22 million) and arrest three people on board, including a Congolese diplomat stationed in Belgium, in what is the largest such seizure in Bulgaria's land orders.[10]
August
[edit]- 31 August – An aircraft carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is subjected to suspected GPS jamming blamed on Russia, forcing it to land at Plovdiv Airport.[11]
September
[edit]- 15 September – Authorities announce the arrest in Vasil Levski Sofia Airport of Igor Grechushki, the Russian owner of the cargo vessel that delivered a shipment of ammonium nitrate to Lebanon that caused the 2020 Beirut explosion.[12]
- 28 September – Bulgaria finishes in second place at 21st FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship in the Philippines after losing to Italy in four sets (25-21, 25-17, 17-25, 25-10).[13]
October
[edit]- 3 October – Two people are killed in flooding caused by heavy rains in Elenite.[14]
- 28 October – German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall and Bulgarian VMZ Sopot sign an agreement to build a gunpowder and ammunitions factory in Sopot, Plovdiv Province.[15][16]
November
[edit]- 6 November – A van carrying migrants plunges into a lake after being chased by police near Burgas, killing six passengers and injuring four others.[17]
- 7 November – The National Assembly passes a law allowing the Bulgarian state to take control of the Lukoil Neftohim Burgas oil refinery operated by the Russian petroleum firm Lukoil amid impending US sanctions against the plant.[18]
- 27 November – The government withdraws its proposed budget for 2026 following massive protests against proposed tax increases.[19]
December
[edit]- 1 December – Tens of thousands of people gather in Sofia and other cities across the country to protest against government corruption and the proposed 2026 budget and calls for members of prime minister Rosen Zhelyazkov's cabinet to resign.[20]
Art and entertainment
[edit]Holidays
[edit]- 1 January – New Year's Day
- 3 March – Liberation Day
- 18 April – Orthodox Good Friday
- 19–21 April – Orthodox Easter
- 1 May – Labour Day
- 6 May – Armed Forces Day and Saint George's Day
- 24 May – Bulgarian Education and Culture, and Slavic Script Day
- 6 September – Unification Day
- 22 September – Independence Day
- 1 November – Day of the Bulgarian Enlighteners
- 24 December – Christmas Eve
- 25–26 December – Christmas Days
Deaths
[edit]- 2 July – Verka Siderova, 99, folk singer.[23]
- 6 August – Krastyo Ralenkov, 60, poet.[24]
- 10 August – Tatyana Chervenyakova, 71, physician.[25]
- 16 August – Mincho Panayotov, 80, painter.[26]
- 3 December – Naĭden Vŭlchev, 98, poet and translator.[27]
References
[edit]- ^ "Ceremonies mark full membership of Bulgaria and Romania in Europe's Schengen travel zone". Associated Press. 31 December 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ^ "Bulgaria's parliament approves new coalition government led by centre-right's Rosen Zhelyazkov". AP News. 16 January 2025. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- ^ "Bulgaria votes down 'foreign agent' bill".
- ^ "1,000 Bulgarian nationalists protest against government plans to adopt euro currency". AP News. 22 February 2025. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
- ^ Dmytro Basmat (27 February 2025). "Bulgarian court orders recount of parliamentary election results amid voting discrepancies". The Kyiv Independent. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ "Bulgaria's ruling coalition is left with a slim majority after vote recount". AP News. 14 March 2025. Retrieved 14 March 2025.
- ^ "Bulgaria's government survives a no-confidence vote brought by a pro-Russia political party". AP News. 3 April 2025. Retrieved 3 April 2025.
- ^ "Bulgarian government survives a no-confidence vote over corruption". AP News. 17 April 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
- ^ "The euro is about to get a new member, Bulgaria. What's the eurozone and how do countries join?". AP News. 7 June 2025.
- ^ "Bulgarian authorities seize a large amount of cocaine hidden in a van". AP News. 20 July 2025.
- ^ "Bulgaria's prime minister orders further investigation into von der Leyen's flight". AP News. 5 September 2025.
- ^ "Bulgaria arrests Russian owner of ship at center of Beirut port blast in 2020". AP News. 16 September 2025.
- ^ Garcia, John Mark (28 September 2025). "Italy still world champ after denying crowd favorite Bulgaria". spin.ph. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
- ^ "Bulgarian resort floods leave 3 dead, while heavy snow downs Balkan power lines". AP News. 4 October 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
- ^ "Germany's Rheinmetall will build a gunpowder and ammunition plant in Bulgaria". Associated Press. 28 October 2025. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ^ Todorov, Svetoslav (28 October 2025). "Rheinmetall Deal Gives Major Boost to Bulgarian Defence Industry". Balkan Insight. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ^ "Van is chased by police in Bulgaria and crashes, killing six migrants". AP News. 9 November 2025. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
- ^ "Bulgaria Adopts Law to Take Control of Russia's Lukoil Refinery". The Moscow Times. 7 November 2025. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ^ "Bulgaria withdraws 2026 budget proposal following street protests". AP News. 27 November 2025.
- ^ Hairsine, Kate (1 December 2025). "Bulgaria sees massive protests against budget, corruption". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
- ^ "Bulgaria Public Holidays 2024". Public Holidays Global. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ^ "Bulgarian Official Holidays". National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ^ "Почина народната певица Верка Сидерова". News.bg (in Bulgarian). 2 July 2025. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
- ^ "Почина поетът Кръстьо Раленков". dariknews.bg (in Bulgarian). 6 August 2025. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
- ^ "Почина проф. д-р Татяна Червенякова". Vesti.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 13 August 2025.
- ^ Лазарова, Антония (16 August 2025). "Почина големият български художник Минчо Панайотов - Евроком" (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ "Почина авторът на "Една българска роза" Найден Вълчев (Видео)". www.24chasa.bg. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
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