On the winding road to stability

Article forms the lead and overview feature in the FT: Special Report: Bulgaria 2012.

Other features include:

+ Governance: Policy makers carry the fight to escape from Europe’s shadows. Path to satisfying demands of Brussels is an arduous one, writes Tony Barber

+ Inward investment: Speculation boom gives way to opportunity with solid foundations. Emphasis is shifting from property and tourism to factories and overseas sales, writes Tony Barber.

+ Manufacturing: Autos emerge as driving force. Motor industry grabs opportunity to show its skills, say Kerin Hope and Theodor Troev

+ Politics: Premier stays popular amid public scepticism. The scene is clouded by the public’s mistrust of authority, writes Tony Barber

+ Energy: Pipeline tie-in reinforces fears of reliance on Russian supply. Politicians counter that moves are under way to diversify sources and move from dependence on Moscow, writes Neil Buckley

+ Economy: Ship weathers tempest yet now needs to sail on
Challenges remain for Bulgaria in spite of worst of crisis having passed, writes Neil Buckley.

+ Viticulture: Winemakers set their sights on restoring a potent legacy. Boutique producers lead industry revival in what was once world’s second-largest exporter of bottled wine, writes Theodor Troev

+ Publishing: Ciela Norma develops as springboard for a new wave of novelists. The profitable software business translates Bulgarian writers’ work in other languages for the local audience, reports Kerin Hope

+ Infrastructure: EU funding pushes expansion of road, rail and port upgrades. Today’s efficiency contrasts sharply with past practice, writes Kerin Hope