First Borisov Government

At this stage the largest ruling party - Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) is discussing five potential candidates to run in the forthcoming presidential elections later this year.

The Bulgarian parliament approved on Friday the nomination of Ekaterina Zaharieva as the country's new justice minister.

A total of 126 MPs voted in favour of Zaharieva's nomination, 66 lawmakers were against, while 17 abstained, BGNES news agency informs.

European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu, who is on a one-day visit to Bulgaria on Friday, congratulated the efforts of the government in the management of EU funds.

Bulgarian Economy Minister Bozhidar Lukarski presented the industrial zones around Sofia and Plovdiv to Chinese investors.

According to the latest exit polls, Yordanka Fandakova, the incumbent mayor of Sofia and candidate of the largest ruling GERB party, was reelected to a third consecutive term with 60 % of the votes in the local elections held in Bulgaria on Sunday.

Socialist party spokesperson Atanas Merdzhanov has accused ruling GERB party of using its influence to manipulate results of local elections, as exit polls suggested a secure victory for incumbent Yordanka Fandakova.

Bulgaria's main ruling party GERB has announced the names it has endorsed to run for mayors of the country in the October 25 local elections.

Ivan Iskrov had been reelected on his position as a Chair of the Bulgarian National Bank under pressure during the first Boiko Borisov cabinet.

The statement was made by Former Finance Minister Simeon Djankov in an interview for bTV, who was in office at the time.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has summoned a meeting of all ministers over the planned increase in electricity prices for industrial consumers as of July 1.

Sunday's meeting at the Council of Ministers building in Sofia is to also include energy experts, according to reports of the Bulgarian National Television.

Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has boasted that Bulgaria has outpaced Romania in the sphere of fight against corruption, as well as in taxes and EU funds absorption.

In a Monday interview for Nova TV, Borisov underscored that the prosecuting authority was "absolutely independent", citing the lawsuits against former Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov as a case in point.