Press Review for Bulgaria, July 20. 2009

Press Review
Sofia, July 20 (BTA)

THE HOME SCENE

Monday's dailies quote OLJ [Order, Lawfulness, Justice] leader Yane Yanev as saying that prime minister-designate Boiko Borissov tried to bring an OLJ expert as minister in the future cabinet. According to sources of "Troud", MP Atanas Semov has been asked to step in as justice minister. Yanev said that the invitations came over the phone and by phone messages. Later, Borissov denied that negotiations to this effect were held.

The OLJ party said that they will not sign a memorandum for parliamentary support with GERB and will not attend Monday's negotiations. OLJ have agreed to signing only a bilateral memorandum with GERB for parliamentary cooperation.

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Razgrad lawyer Todor Dimitrov will succeed Tsvetan Tsvetanov as GERB Floor Leader, writes "Troud". Nona Karadjova, former director of the EU Integration department with the Environment Ministry is tipped for minister of the environment and waters. Stoyan Tonev, head of the Military Medical Academy, and Ivan Kostov, head of the Sheinovo hospital, have both turned down the post of health minister.

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"Borissov Asks Women to Cabinet”, writes "24 Chassa". The number of women who will be given key post in the new cabinet is rising. Besides Nona Karadjova, Andriana Soukova-Tosheva will probably be put in charge of agriculture.

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"Borissov's Cabinet Spearheaded by Ministers from Brussels," reports "Standart News". Experts with long experience in Brussels will take key ministerial posts. Nikolai Mladenov will probably become minister of defence and Vladimir Ourouchev will be minister of energy.

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"Klassa" quotes social scientist Roumiana Kolarova as saying that GERB will not succeed with its own experts only.

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"Sega" writes that GERB intends to scrap MPs immunity. According to National Assembly Chair Tsetska Tsacheva the Prosecutor General's Office backs their desire to eliminate the immunity altogether. The Bulgarian Socialist Party suspects that GERB leader Boiko Borissov will be working towards a presidential republic, the daily adds.





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"We put our thrust in the GERB cabinet and will support it," says Blue Coalition MP Ivan Ivanov, as quoted by "Troud". He says that so far the Blue Coalition hasn't made any demands on GERB for ministerial posts in the future government.

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Interviewed by "24 Chassa", Ivan Kostov, leader of Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB), says that Boiko Borissov has to prove himself, as there is no greater challenge than to govern the country under a deepening economic crisis and almost severed ties with the European Union. Kostov adds that DSB will back the government formed by GERB, because otherwise the BSP will get a shot at coming into power.

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In an interview for "Troud", GERB parliamentary deputy chairman Luchezar Ivanov says that the Democrats for Strong Bulgaria party [of the Blue Coalition] are not serfs. He says that GERB and the Blue Coalition have not discussed any ministerial posts. In his words, the memorandum proposed by GERB to the centre-right Blue Coalition, OLJ and Ataka will draw the demarcation line between opposition and supporters of the future government in Parliament.

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"Attempts at Toppling Volen Siderov", writes "Troud". Former Ataka MP Mitko Dimitrov gathered 35 people at an extraordinary national council to change the party statutes. The council decided 34:1 that the party will have seven co-leaders. Changes to the statutes will be submitted at the Sofia City Court.

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"Stanishev and BSP Wolves Engaged in Trench War", caps an analysis in "Troud". "The BSP [Bulgarian Socialist Party] is in for a long hot summer. Stanishev against the wolves. After Saturday's National Council, Stanishev leads 1:0," writes Valeria Veleva. According to her, Stanishev does not want to go down in history as second Zhan Videnov and he will defend his government at any cost.

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"State Agriculture Stalls Projects," writes "24 Chassa". The elections have hit hard farmers, who are preparing projects under the Rural Development Programme. It turns out that no one has been passing down the chain documents submitted between January and May and they are shelved somewhere at local farming services. An official from a Southern Bulgarian service said they have been ordered to handle only direct payments for farmers.

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A total of 7,141,541 leva have been spent by parties on advertisements in the European and national parliamentary elections, writes "24 Chassa".



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Under the headline "Where to From Now On?", "Troud" runs an article about the five ministers of the National Movement for Surge and Stability and minister Valeri Tsvetanov of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms of the outgoing cabinet. According to the article, Nikolai Vassilev will return to private business, Daniel Vulchev will take back his chair at the Sofia University, Mеglena Tacheva will continue to work as lawyer, and Gergana Passy will work with EU projects. Valeri Tsvetanov says that his life will go back to normal, and Nikolai Tsonev says that he will commit himself to whatever job he takes.


FOREIGN AFFAIRS

"Our foreign policy should become more transparent," says Milan Milanov, Director of the Diplomatic Institute with the Foreign Ministry in an interview for "Monitor". "The Bulgarian diplomat should serve consistently in the name of the national interest," he adds.


ECONOMY

The global economic crisis is more of a risk than an opportunity, writes "Troud", citing an online survey of the website for personnel selection bestjobs.bg. Of 2,843 respondents, 2,247 are convinced that the crisis poses threats and only 596 think that it offers opportunities.

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Approximately one fifth of hotels on the Black Sea are shut at the height of the summer season, writes "Sega", quoting Roumen Draganov of the Institute for Analysis and Assessment in Tourism. This is due to the low number of tourists. Resorts south of Bourgas are occupied at a 20 per cent rate.

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The insurance market in Bulgaria has shrunk by over 25 per cent since the start of 2009 compared with the same period last year, frontpages "Klassa". According to Orlin Penev, Chairman of the Association of Bulgarian Insurers, the contraction is due mainly to the drop in car insurances, as fewer cars have been sold this year.


SOCIETY

Crashes during the weekend took thirteen lives on roads in Bulgaria and three in neighbouring Greece, frontpages "Troud". The 40th edition of the Bulgaria Rally was suspended because of an incident which killed navigator Flavio Gugelmini.






Links to some Bulgarian info websites in English:

• http://www.thebulgarianpost.com/
• http://www.bta.bg/site/bg/index.shtml
• http://www.novinite.com/index.php
• http://www.focus-fen.net/




Most discussed topics of the day – July 20, 2009

• Bulgaria's future Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, announced today his nomination for the Justice Minister in the new GERB party cabinet - Prosecutor Margarita Popova. Popova's nomination was revealed after Sunday's scandal, in which the leader of the conservative RZS ("Order, Law and Justice") party, Yane Yanev, claimed that Borisov had sent an SMS text message to his deputy, Dimitar Abadzhiev, inviting him to become Justice Minister.
Boyko Borisov also confirmed that former MEP Nikolay Mladenov is going to be the new Defense Minister.

• A panel of Sofia District Court is holding a sitting to decide whether the three kidnappers of 23-year-old Alexander Kraus must remain in custody. Kraus was kidnapped on July 15, Wednesday, and on Thursday the kidnappers were arrested.

• Bulgaria registered a monthly budget deficit of BGN 381 million in June 2009, according to data presented by outgoing Finance Minister, Plamen Oresharski. In the first half of 2009, Bulgaria still registered a surplus but it has been reduced to BGN 173 million, or 0,3% of the GDP. The surplus was accumulated mostly in January.

• Traffic Police today began intensive checks of buses. The action will take place in all European countries by July 26, said Interior Ministry. The campaign aims to reduce distortions and to reduce the victims of catastrophes.