Bulgaria's Good News in 2012

Following is a ranking of some of the good news for Bulgaria in 2012, according to the journalists of Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency), Novinite.bg and Novinite.ru.

1. Awakening of Bulgaria's civil society – civic protests led to Bulgaria's renunciation of ACTA, President Plevneliev's veto on the Forestry Act, and a moratorium on shale gas exploration

2. Bulgaria's archaeological finds in 2012 – the Sveshtari gold treasure, the Provadia necropolis, the "vampire" from Sozopol

3. Introduction and survival of a full smoking ban in public places in Bulgaria

4. Investments in new manufacturing plants in Bulgaria by investors such as Litex Motors and Great Wall Motors, ABB, Lufthansa Technik, among others

5. Revival of Bulgaria's national football team

6. Bulgarian athletes' successes at the London Olympics – fourth place of the Bulgarian volleyball team, and medals won by wrestler Stanka Zlateva and boxer Tervel Pulev

7. Launch of the second line of the Sofia Metro

8. Announcement by the PMs of Bulgaria and Greece of the upcoming launch of the Makaza Pass border crossing point in early 2013

9. Cultural achievements: a Bulgarian play, "The Eyes of Others" by Ivan Dimitrov made a debut in New York City; Bulgarian director Yavor Gardev will film Hollywood production "Theseus"

10. Election of the leader of a Bulgarian political party as the leader of a EU party family (Sergey Stanishev – Party of European Socialists)

Finally, as a bonus:

11. The world didn't come to an end on December 21, 2012, as some interpreters of the Ancient Mayan Calendar had predicted