SofiaEcho RSS feed Columnists

Earth Hour hypocrisy

Alex Bivol — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 17:00:00 +0200

This year, forget about Earth Hour, celebrate human achievement instead.

The Gypsy Baron

Bill Drysdale — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:59:00 +0300

The situation which came to a head last week involving Roma people in France from Bulgaria and Romania would be a perfect plot for a modern grand opera

Sleeping with the enemy?

Gabriel Hershman — Fri, 14 May 2010 10:00:00 +0300

Reflections on the fallout from five days of dark dealings, ambiguous election results and the odd crazy columnist

Legal Alien: Cultural capital punishment

Clive Leviev-Sawyer — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 09:59:00 +0200

Among the enormous quantities of bumf spewed out by the Brussels media spin machine of late was a statement headed "EU celebrates 25th anniversary of European capitals of culture".

My Bulgaria: The second job

Petar Kostadinov — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 09:59:00 +0200

We have finally learned about the activities of Ahmed Dogan, the almighty and long-standing leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) party, during all the years he failed to appear in Parliament.

Offline: Writing 4 u

Rene Beekman — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 09:59:00 +0200

According to a recent report in Bulgarian-language daily Monitor, an alleged "SMS mania" was responsible for the inability of the average Bulgarian teenager to write to standards of grammatical correctness in their native language.

Macro: Desperate times

Alex Bivol — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:58:00 +0200

The Cabinet is yet to officially unveil its latest anti-crisis measures, but an alleged leaked Finance Ministry draft proposal has already stirred the public ire.

The English Angle: Thirty years late

Gabriel Hershman — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:58:00 +0200

A recent speech by David Lammy, MP for Tottenham in London - my home 10 years ago - finally alludes to an elephant in the room, or more accurately, in British inner cities.

Living Bulgaria: The diplomatic dimension

Bill Drysdale — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:57:00 +0200

After a winter of excellent snow cover and successful Olympics in Vancouver, it was good to hear that the Slovakian ambassador to Bulgaria has won the foreign ministers’ Ski Cup in Bansko against competition from several other top diplomats and politicians.

My Bulgaria: Boiko Borissov acts

Petar Kostadinov — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:59:00 +0200

Getting Prime Minister Boiko Borissov to act seems difficult given his tough and macho image. The past few weeks, however, show that all you need is a sensitive issue and the media spotlight.

Offline: Myths about reading

Rene Beekman — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:59:00 +0200

Nay-sayers and Luddites who have maintained for years that reading books off computer and other screens is not going to be a mainstream activity look set to be proven wrong, again.

The English Angle: Foot note

Gabriel Hershman — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:59:00 +0200

Former Labour leader Michael Foot’s death in some ways marked the end of an era. I’m no "Footite", at least ideologically, but 30 years ago British politicians said what they thought.

My Bulgaria: Little Bulgaria

Petar Kostadinov — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:59:00 +0200

If you want to understand how Bulgarian society works, attend a meeting of flat owners at a residential building.

Legal Alien: Pictures at an exhibition

Clive Leviev-Sawyer — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:59:00 +0200

Finance Minister Simeon Dyankov, we are told, has ordered the removal from the walls of the ministry of portraits of his 46 predecessors. The stated reason is a noble one, on the face of it.

The English Angle: Chelsea tales

Gabriel Hershman — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:59:00 +0200

Sean Connery once said he never realised as a child that he was poor, because he knew nothing else. Same here, except, unfashionable as it is to admit, my journey has been somewhat in reverse.

Legal Alien: Dear Mr Borissov…

Clive Leviev-Sawyer — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:57:00 +0200

The title of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s novel No One Writes to the Colonel could not possibly apply to Bulgaria.

Living Bulgaria: Diary of a nomad

Bill Drysdale — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:57:00 +0200

This month has been a frustrating one, stuck in Scotland arranging the sale of my house before opening a new chapter of my life.

Offline: Database obsession

Rene Beekman — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:57:00 +0200

Many Bulgarian companies seem to work with a cash-flow system that sets hard administrative limits on calendar months and years.

My Bulgaria: Crisis? What crisis?

Petar Kostadinov — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:59:00 +0200

What is the most common recent tune on the news about Bulgaria’s tourism sector?

Macro: Tourism laws

Alex Bivol — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:58:00 +0200

For a country that relies so heavily on tourism revenue and wants to promote itself as an affordable destination, Bulgaria’s legislative framework in that area is exceedingly poor.