Macroeconomic Monitor
Начало / 2015 / януари

2015.01

Guest article: Politics is for everyone

Kalin Manolov On January 22, 2015, the Supreme Court of Cassation (SCC) – the General Assembly of the Chamber of Commerce referred the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Bulgaria with a request for interpretation of Art. 12, para. 2 of the Constitution. The article states: “Citizens’ associations, including trade unions, may not set political goals and carry out …

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How a Greek bankruptcy could still lead to the collapse of the EU

Frank Hollenbeck Greece is back in the headlines. This should come as no surprise to anyone. It would be naive to think that the Greeks would accept to remain in debt forever. Despite all the rumors that Greece will be forced to leave the eurozone, there is actually no such mechanism through which the member states of the European Union (EU) …

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It's time for pension reform, not political games

For the Christmas and New Year holidays, the government decided to give us a "small" surprise. In just a week, controversial changes to the Social Security Code (SSC) were voted on without any public debate or preliminary assessment of the impact of the adopted regulatory texts. Many question marks, disappointments and future economic shocks were tried by the government ...

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A brief history of the world

Boyan Rashev Once upon a time there were two tribes that lived far from each other, and between them was the Great Water. Quite by chance, on the same day, smart people from both tribes invented the wheel while trying to drag a pile of cut wood to their villages. A historic moment! The smart ones who lived west …

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Guest Essay: A Brief History of the World

Boyan Rashev Once upon a time there were two tribes that lived far from each other, and between them was the Great Water. Quite by chance, on the same day, smart people from both tribes invented the wheel while trying to drag a pile of cut wood to their villages. A historic moment! The smart ones who lived west …

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On the war against the poor

In the last months of his life, US President John F. Kennedy pushed the idea of a massive political campaign – a war on poverty in the country – through his cabinet. His successor in the White House – Lyndon B. Johnson – further developed the plan and presented his vision of the “Great Society” to the US Congress. As …

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Guest Comment: On Freedom of Speech

Yuri Ivanov* Over time, we may have forgotten it, but it is an obvious truth that in socialist Bulgaria people had the right to travel wherever they wanted... as long as they did not cross the external and internal borders outlined by the party. They also had the right to do whatever they wanted with their dreams... as long as they did not...

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Why should we pay 472 million to BDZ for ghost trains?

The topic of state railways has been a favorite political chewing gum since the very beginning of the transition. Especially considering the fact that the railway company (as a classic state enterprise) in its slow death has become a black hole for taxpayers' money. The annual state subsidy for passenger transportation with discounted tickets alone amounts to …

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Nationalization of funds in private pension funds. Some effects of changes in pension legislation

At the end of last year, the ruling coalition, led by the right-wing (in words) GERB party, introduced changes to the pension insurance law, which are not just not a step in the right direction, but a leap in the exact opposite. Due to the great economic importance of the negative reform, it is important to highlight some …

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