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Over the past three years, the number of judicial recusals in Bulgaria has slightly exceeded 60,000. In 2024 alone, the number surpassed 25,000 – setting a new record. In the first four months of 2025, recusals have already reached 11,325. What do these figures mean? What are the reasons behind the high number of recusals? What are the consequences, and what solutions does the Institute for Market Economics (IME) propose? You can find the answers in the analysis published today: "A Stand for Independence or a Symptom of Vulnerability: Judicial Recusals in Bulgaria in 2024."

Although per capita GDP in the district is growing relatively fast, its value remains low. Employment is falling and unemployment is rising. Investment activity in Haskovo District remains weak. The density of the road network, the share of motorways and first-class roads and the quality of roads are high. Local tax levels in the municipalities of the district are close but below the national average. The rating for active transparency of the administration increased further and remains higher than average. Natural growth in Haskovo District is strongly negative, but mechanical growth is positive. Student performance is low. Health care suffers from a shortage of doctors and hospital beds. Life expectancy is high. The number of crimes in the district is rising but remains lower than the national average and the detection rate is higher. The relative number of municipal waste generated in the district increased significantly but remained below the national average. Cultural life and tourism in the district are relatively weak.

The Gross Domestic Product per capita in the Targovishte region is increasing significantly. Wages and pensions are also continuing to rise. Employment and unemployment are both increasing simultaneously, but both indicators remain significantly less favorable than the national average. The absorption of European funds in the region remains low. The share of motorways and first-class roads is relatively small, but the quality of the road surface is high. Local taxes remain at relatively low levels. The self-assessment of e-government development remains above the national average. The aging of the population is progressing at a faster rate than the national average. Targovishte is among the regions with the lowest coverage of the educational system. The utilization of hospital beds in the region is low. The courts in the region are among the least burdened in the country, which contributes to faster adjudication. The share of forested areas is lower than the national average, but the share of damaged land is also small. Cultural life remains low in intensity, and tourism is not particularly developed.

Incomes in Stara Zagora continue to rise significantly and the standard of living is rising. Employment and unemployment are declining simultaneously, both indicators being more favourable than the national average. Output is high, placing the district in the top three. Unlike most districts with a high degree of economic development, Stara Zagora maintains relatively low local tax rates. The assessment of transparency in the work of local government bodies is relatively low. Natural growth in the district remains below the national average. Student performance is close to average. Access to doctors (both general practitioners and specialists) is relatively good. The pharmacy network is developed. The number of crimes is relatively high and the detection rate is close to average. Stara Zagora's poor environmental score is primarily due to the extremely high proportion of disturbed territory. Cultural life in the district is relatively intense.

Sofia District recorded the lowest growth of GDP per capita and lost its second place in the ranking. Wages and pensions remain relatively high. The development of the local labour market continues to be good. The good economic development of the district is accompanied by high investment activity. The density of the road network is high. The average level of local taxes is generally high. Transparency in municipal administrations remains low. The share of own revenues in total revenues of municipalities in the district is the lowest in the country. The natural growth rate remains lower than the national average. Sofia is among the districts with a relatively low urbanisation rate. Student performance is poor. Access to doctors, both general practitioners and specialists, in the district is slightly below the national average. The administration of justice is slow. The volume of municipal waste generated in the district is among the highest in the country, and the proportion sent for treatment and recycling among the lowest. The intensity of cultural life in the district remains low. At the same time, tourism is better developed than in most districts.

Gross domestic product, wages and pensions in Smolyan continue to increase. The poverty rate is decreasing. Employment and unemployment are rising, both remaining relatively unfavourable. Business and investment activity has improved. The district lacks railways, motorways and first class roads. Local taxes are relatively low. Smolyan is among the three districts with the lowest share of own revenues in total municipal revenues and has the second lowest coverage of municipal expenditures by local revenues. The district's population is among the oldest in the country. Smolyan continues to be one of the districts with the best educational performance. The health insurance system practically covers the entire population of the district. The workload of local courts is relatively low, which affects the speed of justice. Smolyan is the district with the lowest number of registered crimes. It also ranks first in terms of the highest proportion of forested territory and the lowest in terms of disturbed territory. The intensity of cultural life remains low, but tourism is strong.

Although the gross domestic product per capita in Sliven is increasing, it is among the lowest in the country. Employment and unemployment are growing simultaneously. The educational status of the labour force remains a challenge on the labour market. Investment activity is extremely weak. Basic physical infrastructure remains at a relatively good level. Retail rates are significantly lower than the national average. Transparency in the performance of municipalities in the district remains high. The demographic picture in the district ranks it among the top in the country. At the same time, on education and health indicators, Sliven is among the lowest performing districts. There is a severe shortage of both general practitioners and specialists. The relative number of crimes in the district is close to the average, but the detection rate is significantly higher. The relative volume of drinking water used is the lowest in the country. The cultural and tourism sectors in the district are relatively weak.