Send to Kindle
Sasho Dikov, program director of private television Kanal 3, is known for his fiery temper and harsh criticism against the center-right government of Boyko Borisov. Photo by Sofia Photo Agency
An improvised explosive device blew up late on Thursday the car of a popular Bulgarian journalist, known for his harsh criticism against the center-right government.
No casualties have been reported.
Sasho Dikov, the owner of the car, is program director of private television Kanal 3. The journalist, known also for his fiery temper, told his channel that he "has received absolutely no threats from anyone, no matter how incredible this may sound."
The blast exploded about 10 pm in front of the residential building where Dikov lives and coincided with the visit of European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso to Bulgaria.
Similar explosions rocked in the middle of July the offices of two Bulgarian opposition parties in Sofia – the conservative Order, Law and Justice Party, RZS and the party of former Prime Minister Ivan Kostov, the die-hard rightist Democrats for Strong Bulgaria.
The blasts came right before the European Commission published its annual report on Bulgaria's progress in the fight against organised crime and corruption and just a day after Bulgaria's centrist and leftist opposition tabled in parliament a no confidence motion against the cabinet of Boyko Borisov, which the two targeted parties supported.
Rumors emerged, suggesting that the blasts were just PR tricks, masterminded by the parties themselves, and drawing parallels to the bomb that exploded in front of the offices of Galeria, an anti-government newspaper, early on February 10 in downtown Sofia.
The two heads of the newspaper are widely believed to have ordered the blast, under the guidance of Aleksei Petrov, a highly controversial businessman, considered to be the prime minister's archenemy, patron of the weekly and closely linked to RZS.
Right before the blast, Galeria had published transcripts of taped phone conversations between 
senior government officials and Customs Office chief Vanyo Tanov, which prompted Prime Minister Boyko Borisov to seek and win a confidence vote in Parliament on January 20.
The tapes, whose authenticity was not verified, alleged that the government of PM Boyko Borisov is favoring certain companies and individuals with respect to investigations and appointments in the Customs Agency. All tapes featured conversations of Customs Agency head Vanyo Tanov.
Prime Minister Boyko Borisov took office in the summer of 2009, pledging to curb corruption and organized crime after criticism from Brussels.
Bulgaria’s National Revenue Agency (NRA) has carried out more than 3,200 inspections under the Euro Law, with detected violations remaining below 10 percent
Bulgaria’s business sector entered the euro era with relatively limited disruption, thanks to early planning, coordinated communication and a clearly defined transition timetable
Annual inflation across the eurozone eased further in December, slipping below the European Central Bank’s 2 percent benchmark, according to updated data released by Eurostat
Political analysts broadly agree that President Rumen Radev’s resignation is a calculated step tied directly to his expected entry into electoral politics
The announcement by President Rumen Radev that he will step down from office and enter active politics triggered an immediate and wide-ranging political response across the spectrum, with parties interpreting his move both as an opportunity and as a direc
The announced resignation of President Rumen Radev in order to enter the electoral race opens a new phase in Bulgaria’s already complex political situation and raises a series of institutional and political questions about what follows next.
In Kazanlak, a grocery store owner recently identified a counterfeit 100-euro banknote in circulation. Tihomir Bezlov, chief expert of the Security program at the Center for the Study of Democracy
Bulgarian authorities seized 215 liters of alcohol from a commercial premises in the village of Malo Konare, Pazardzhik region, the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Pazardzhik reported.
A family of pensioners from the village of Lozno in Kyustendil became victims of a robbery after converting 50,000 leva (approximately €25,500) into euros at a local bank.
A counterfeit 500 Euro (BGN 980) banknote was discovered in Pernik after being used to claim winnings at a local casino.
A case involving counterfeit euro banknotes has been uncovered at a gas station in the town of Valchedrum, Montana region, where a young employee managed to replace genuine currency with fake bills during his shifts. The forged banknotes entered the stati
Bulgaria has registered its first case of counterfeit euro banknotes, highlighting the challenges posed by the new currency, which remains unfamiliar to many. Some of the fake notes are of relatively high quality, making them difficult to identify, warns
Bulgaria's Strategic Role in the EU's Drone Wall Defense Initiative
When Politics Means Violence
