Social Issues

The head of the Kosovo War Veterans Association, Muharrem Xhemajli, told BIRN that protests would be held across the country next week if parliament doesn’t act to approve the new legislation on Monday.

Former KLA fighters have expressed anger after parliament did not put a vote on the law guaranteeing benefits for war veterans on the agenda of its session on Thursday.

The omnibus bill due to be submitted to Parliament on Friday foresees greater protection for taxpayers who owe money to the state, while also reducing fines for some tax-related offenses.

Cécilia Attias, ex-wife of former French President Sarkozy, met Thursday in Sofia with the Bulgarian medics who spent 8 years in prison in Libya over a HIV trial.

Cecilia Attias, then-wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, had a major contribution to the release of the medics.

Bulgarian pensioners become more frequent visitors to Greek islands for Easter. 

A survey of Bulgaria's Darik national radio among tourist agencies found that this spring Greece and Turkey are more preferred by Bulgarians above middle age. 

"Progressives mull cabinet with minority party"

BELGRADE -- The Progressives (SNS) are "close to the decision" to form a government only with parties of national minorities, writes a newspaper.

This cabinet will also reportedly be made up "mostly of non-partisan experts."

BELGRADE - President of the Coalition of Refugee Associations Miodrag Linta has noted that the Serbs in Croatia are in a difficult position, including the expelled ones, as they cannot exercise their basic human rights.

Sixty-one illegal immigrants were apprehended at Bulgaria's “green” border with Turkey in the last 24 hours, Interior Ministry said. 

They are taken to the primary holding centers and are receiving medical attention. Later they will be processed in accordance with the legal requirements. 

Ivan Balev, head of the Demographic and Social Statistics unit of Bulgaria's National Statistical Institute (NSI), has insisted that the 2011 census was deeply flawed.

Balev, as cited by Darik radio, claimed that the shortcomings of the 2011 census were due to mistakes of census workers and statisticians.

Hundreds of union members were on Thursday protesting against the government's austerity measures and high unemployment.

Demonstrators, mainly construction workers, shut down Stadiou Street in central Athens as they marched to the Ministry of Labor.

Thursday's rally is a follow up to the March 6 protest, organizers said.

Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta has said his centre-left government will not revoke a controversial fuel tax coming into force on April 1, but promised compensatory measures.

“The measure will help ‘fair' transporters, without a history of tax evasion, who will be able to recover most of the costs [of the new tax],” Ponta said, without offering further details.