Easter Monday in Bulgaria: Tradition and Family Visits
Orthodox Easter Monday is the day following Easter Sunday and is observed across Bulgaria as part of the wider Easter celebration within the Orthodox Christian tradition
Hungary Still Throws Weight Behind Bulgaria, Romania's Schengen Bid
- Tweet
Send to Kindle
Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi. Photo by BGNES
Hungary will do everything possible to facilitate Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen entry during its EU presidency.
This was stated on Monday by Hungary's Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi who is on a visit to France on an official ceremony dedicated to the start of the Hungarian Presidency.
"We have a priority and that is the Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen Agreement accession," Martonyi has said, thus reinstating Hungary's position.
"The Hungarian Presidency's current position requires diplomatic agility," the Hungarian Foreign Minister admitted.
He has pointed out that, according to the European Commission, Romania has covered the technical criteria for its Schengen entry and that Bulgaria faces "some problems".
"We insist on this priority, because we have made a promise to our Bulgarian and Romanian friends," Martonyi has declared.
He said that before Laurent Wauquiez, French Secretary of State for European Affairs, who stated last Thursday that constituting Schengen's external border is a vast responsibility which France doubts Bulgaria and Romania are capable of taking at the present moment.
In December, France together with Germany vowed to veto the entry of Bulgaria and Romania based on concerns that relate not to the legally mandated criteria, but rather to issues with corruption and crime that are dealt with by the so-called Co-operation and Verification Mechanism set up for the two EU newcomers
However, at the end of December, the European Commission confirmed its position against tying Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen zone entry with additional clauses and with the post-accession progress monitoring.
Last Friday, it was reported that there is no chance of Bulgaria joining the Schengen zone at the end of March as previously announced because the report assessing control over the common border with Turkey is negative. EU diplomats were quoted saying that about 10 European countries, not just France and Germany oppose Bulgaria's and Romania's Schengen entry.
The decision for the postponement is expected to be made during the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers on February 24.
Related Articles:
Bulgaria Sees Modest Monthly Industrial Growth, But 8% Yearly Drop Persists
Industrial output in Bulgaria posted a modest monthly increase in February 2026, but continued to decline sharply on an annual basis, according to preliminary, seasonally adjusted data from the National Statistical Institute.
Trade Unions Warn: Prices in Bulgaria Won’t Fall Back Even If Fuel Gets Cheaper
The president of the Confederation of Bulgarian Trade Unions, Plamen Dimitrov, has warned that inflation in Bulgaria is likely to exceed earlier projections, even if fuel prices begin to decline
ECB: Euro Adoption Brought Only Limited, One-Off Price Impact in Bulgaria
The introduction of the euro in Bulgaria has so far produced only a limited and largely one-off effect on consumer prices, according to an analysis by the European Central Bank
“Christ is Risen!” Bulgaria Celebrates Easter
Easter is the most important religious holiday in the Orthodox Christian calendar and is widely celebrated across Bulgaria. It marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ and follows the completion of Holy Week, which includes Good Friday and Holy Saturday
Bulgaria Marks Holy Saturday Ahead of Easter Night
Holy Saturday, known in Bulgaria as Lazarus Saturday’s continuation of the Easter cycle, is a quiet but deeply symbolic day in the Orthodox Christian calendar
Politico: Bulgaria Among EU States Pressured to Back Ukraine Loan with €1.2B Guarantee
EU countries will each have to secure guarantees worth billions of euros for the loan to Ukraine funded by frozen Russian assets, Politico’s Brussels edition reports.
Bulgaria’s Defense Minister thinks there was an Explosion on Board Prigozhin’s Plane
Bulgaria's Minister of Defense Todor Tagarev admitted the possibility that an explosive device might have been planted on board the crashed plane in which Yevgeny Prigozhin was traveling
EC is Preparing Criminal Proceedings against Bulgaria for Accessing Data from Criminal Record Certificates
The European Commission has announced that it is preparing criminal proceedings against Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Malta, and Portugal for incorrect application of the rules on the exchange of data on criminal records and the establishment of the relevant
The European Commission Started an Evaluation of the Bulgarian Recovery Plan
The European Commission has started an evaluation of the Plan for Reconstruction and Development of Bulgaria, said the spokesman of the European Commission Eric Mamer. The document was submitted to the Commission on 15 October.
Nearly 60% of Bulgarians are Skeptical about Adopting the Euro
58% of Bulgarians do not support the introduction of the euro as the official currency in the country. This shows a study prepared by Trend agency specifically for the financial forum NEXT DIFI 2021, organized by b2b Media for the fifth year. The data dur
Bulgaria Is Late to Explain Its Position on N.Macedonia Says Diplomat
Too late Bulgaria began to explain its own position towards North Macedonia, as it should have been clear to our European partners some time ago.
