In October 2011,Bulgaria held its presidential and local elections.The ruling centre-right party CEDB occupied a parliamentary majority,while at the same time the center-left party BSP was gaining strength.Due to the sovereign debt crisis in the euro zone,the Bulgarian economic growth is expected to slow down with rising unemployment rate.The austerity programme carried out by the government led to wide-spread social protests.Due to the opposition from some EU member states,the decision for Bulgaria to join the Schengen area has been postponed.In addition,Bulgaria is keeping a friendly and multi-level relationship with China. <<