EU Struggles for Visa Reciprocity with US: Bulgaria Still Left Out
The European Commission reaffirmed its commitment to achieving visa-free travel to the United States for all European Union citizens
The House made history Wednesday by impeaching a president for a second time, indicting President Trump a week before he leaves office for inciting a riot with false claims of a stolen election that led to the storming of the Capitol and five deaths.
Unlike Trump’s first impeachment, which proceeded with almost no GOP support, Wednesday’s effort attracted 10 Republicans, including Rep. Liz Cheney, the No. 3 party leader in the House. The Senate now appears likely to hold a trial after Trump’s departure, an unprecedented scenario that could end with lawmakers barring him from holding the presidency again.
The final vote was 232-197.
One of the final dramas of a tumultuous presidency, the impeachment unfolded against the backdrop of near-chaos in the House and uncertainty about where Trump’s exit leaves the GOP. Democrats and Republicans exchanged accusations and name-calling throughout the day, while Trump loyalists were livid at fellow Republicans who broke ranks — especially Cheney — leaving the party’s leadership shaken.
But despite the emotions stirred by the Capitol assault, the great majority of Republicans stood by the president, including Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). He argued on the House floor that while Trump bears responsibility for the attack on the Capitol, the snap impeachment would only “further fan the flames of partisan division.”
McCarthy for the first time publicly endorsed a censure for Trump, but the call came too late to serve as an effective alternative to impeachment.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other Democrats made it clear Wednesday that censure would not suffice given the circumstances, with Trump riling up his supporters with false claims of election fraud, then urging them to march on Congress as it was certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.
“He must go,” Pelosi said. “He is a clear and present danger to the nation that we all love.”
Bulgaria's parliament has agreed to extend the mandate of Acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov for an additional six months
Kiril Petkov, co-chair of "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB), stated that his party would remain a principled opposition
GERB has released the coalition agreement it signed with BSP-United Left and "There is Such a People" (TISP), outlining their commitment to anti-corruption measures, judicial reforms, and ensuring fair elections
President Rumen Radev has handed over the first exploratory mandate for forming a government to the GERB party
On January 15, a ceremony at the Naval Headquarters in Varna will mark the handover of command of the Naval Mine Countermeasures Group in the Black Sea
The Legal Affairs Committee in the Bulgarian National Assembly voted with 22 votes in favor of halting the procedure for electing the next Prosecutor General
Bulgaria's Perperikon: A European Counterpart to Peru's Machu Picchu
Bulgarians Among EU's Least Frequent Vacationers, Struggling with Affordability