Nearly a Quarter Million Macedonians Are Now Bulgarian Citizens - Here’s Why
Over 216,000 citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia have received Bulgarian passports in the past 18 years
Fitch Ratings announced on October 1 that they had affirmed Bulgarian Development Bank AD's (BDB) Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at 'BBB'. The Outlook on the Long-Term IDR is Positive.
The BDB reported the news in a press release on Tuesday.
The affirmation reflects no major changes to Fitch's assessment of the Bulgarian sovereign's propensity or ability to support the bank.
Fitch do not assign a Viability Rating to BDB because the bank does not have a meaningful standalone franchise that could exist without its state ownership.
According to Fitch, this is the highest possible credit rating for BDB and is equalized with the Bulgarian sovereign rating (BBB/Positive) to reflect a high probability of support from the Bulgarian sovereign, in case of need.
Fitch have revised BDB's ESG Relevance Score for 'Governance Structure' (GGV) to '4' from '3'. A GGV score of '3' is the standard score assigned to banks rated by Fitch. The score reflects BDB's heightened compliance risks related to the bank's largest borrowers, which are under an inquiry by Bulgaria's interim government.
Fitch also outlined the factors that could lead to changes in the ratings. The upgrades or downgrades of BDB are linked to the Bulgarian sovereign's ratings, the probability of support from the Bulgarian sovereign and changes in BDB's capitalization./BTA
Source: Sofia
The euro's transition brings many questions, especially regarding how to tell real banknotes from fake ones
As Bulgaria moves steadily toward joining the eurozone on January 1, 2026, following unanimous support from eurozone finance ministers and heads of state in June 2025, waves of disinformation continue to circulate
One of the most debated topics around Bulgaria’s upcoming transition from the lev to the euro is whether the country is giving up its sovereignty
Recent analysis by the financial portal "Moite pari" indicates that interest rates on bank deposits are starting to climb, particularly noticeable among smaller banks over the past year
Inflation in Bulgaria recorded a slight uptick in May 2025
Bulgaria has secured an additional 300 million leva in debt from the domestic market, according to the results of the latest government securities auction held by the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB)
Borderless Bulgaria: How Schengen Benefits Are Transforming Trade and Logistics
Bulgaria's Mortality Rate Remains Highest in Europe