The forthcoming snap parliamentary elections and a few prognoses for their outcome are of front-page interest for today’s Bulgarian press. Standart carries the opinion of political analysts who claim it is premature to talk about a post-election coalition of the Bulgarian Socialist Party and Gerb Party. Under the headline “Pre-election pirouettes” the newspaper comments that BSP is ready to give up its demand for abolishing the 10-percent flat tax but that for the time being Gerb is not open for a coalition. „BSP has suddenly fallen in love with the flat tax”, reads a headline in Sega. Trud remarks that the leaders of Gerb and BSP, Boyko Borissov and Kornelia Ninova respectively, are ready for a cabinet of the minority. The main stumbling block for a possible post-election coalition of Gerb and BSP is who would serve as prime minister, 24 Hours speculates. According to the newspaper, this stumbling block is likely to pave the road to new early parliamentary elections.

„The E-government Agency has announced an urgent and mysterious tender”, a headline in Sega reads. The agency has given a three-day deadline for the submission of tenders with price offers. The tender has to do with five groups of very important and sophisticated activities related to a pilot model of remote electronic voting;creating a network for control and transparency of e-government; and upgrading citizen registration systems. The spokesman of the Agency has explained that this is not a public procurement tender.

The Novo Selo military polygon near Sliven expects two thousand rangers based in the French city of Lille, Standart writes. The equipment of the Rapid Reaction Corps is already at the polygon. Infantrymen will participate in a NATO exercise in March.

Trud comments today’s inauguration of the new chief of defense. „It is not good for the military circles to get involved in a behind-the-scenes race for posts of the current Defense Ministry and the future caretaker and regular ones. The armed forces are faced with serious problems in terms of staff for key positions”, the newspaper also writes.

„Unicredit Bulbank sells large package of bad corporate debts”, a headline in Capital Daily reads. The newspaper specifies: „The buyer of the portfolio worth 93 million euro is a Bulgarian subsidiary of the Norwegian B2Holding”. Capital Daily comments that this has been one of the biggest deals on the market of bad debts in the recent years.

„Under a blockade from Greece we are set to lose 15 million euro for 20 days”, a Standart headline reads referring to an estimate of Krassimir Lalov from the National Transport Companies Association. At the peak of winter Greek farmers have renewed threats to block the border, Standart recalls and adds: „Nemories are still alive of the nightmare a year ago when for less than a month Bulgarian businesses lost millions of euro from blocked traffic.”

„Young people won’t accept 1000 leva (500 euro) a month pay”, Monitor writes. The most fussy job candidates are financiers and economists, HR specialists report. Ten percent of approved candidates give up jobs over low wages. They only agree to start a job with a monthly pay that is worth at least 600 euro.

Compiled by Atanas Tsenov

English Daniela Konstantinova