International relations

Andonis Samaras, Greece's Prime Minister, has proposed that changes be introduced into the constitution envisaging direct presidential elections and a reduced number of MPs.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Thursday defended his conservative government's record while launching a vehement attack on leftist opposition SYRIZA.

Speaking to the parliamentary group of his New Democracy party, Samaras said the government had managed to put the Greek economy back on the road of recovery.

A Bulgarian household spends an average of BGN 6 per year for theater, cinema and concerts, shows a study of the Observatory for economy of culture. 

The residents of Sofia spend an average of BGN 13 per year. 

At the same time, the sum spent for cable and satellite TV subscriptions has increased from BGN 96 in 2008 to BGN 107 in 2012. 

The prosecuting authority has pressed charges against the chief of cabinet of Bulgarian Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski, Maria Divizieva.

She was handed the indictment on Thursday at the State Agency for National Security (DANS) HQ.

Divizieva's indictment is related to an investigation into the Administrative Capacity Operational Program.

The overall improvement of the economic situation in the EU in the last year has not had a positive effect on Bulgaria's economy, according to an expert.

Although the European Union has began to shake off the crisis effects, Bulgaria has not recorded economic growth, economist Georgi Ganev told private TV station bTV.

32-year-old Momchil Todorov, an officer of Bulgaria's National Security Service, shot himself to death with his personal weapon.

The incident happened at around 9 pm on Wednesday, according to reports of the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR).

Senior officials from Southeast Europe, noting their concerns about events in Ukraine, said NATO membership is a key policy priority for the region.

Bulgaria's government is preparing a new bill for attracting foreign investment, the country's Minister of Economy Dragomir Stoynev revealed.

Bulgaria's hospitality industry has recorded a recent 20% decline in the early bookings of tourists from Germany, Britain and the Scandinavian countries.

If grid operators in Bulgaria do not comply with the law, the national energy watchdog DKEVR will suspend their licenses, Bulgaria's Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski said.

Oresharski added he had no information of political pressure applied on the State Commission for Energy and Water Regulation (DKEVR) regarding permits of power distributors, according to the website Expert.bg.