Bulgarian Press Review September 2, 2009

Press Review
Sofia, September 2 (BTA)


FOREIGN POLICY

World leaders wish Boyko Borissov success, "24 Chassa" says, referring to the Bulgarian prime minister's participation in the commemoration in Poland of the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II. "Novinar" caps its story "European Leaders Wish Borissov Success, Berlusconi to Visit Bulgaria". "Telegraph" and "Express" write that Borissov reached agreement that EU money would be unblocked. A "Monitor" headline says: "After Borissov-Putin Meeting: Sofia to Tell Moscow about Energy Projects by Year's End".

***

In "Pari", Foreign Minister Rumiana Jeleva says the EU should not be asked to deal only with Bulgaria. She also notes a delay in the country's entry in the Schengen area.

***

"Standart News" reports that Bulgarian surgeons in Afghanistan saved the life of an American soldier with 97 per cent burns. He is recovering in a US clinic.


HOME SCENE

"Troud" publishes a Mediana nationally representative poll which shows that 71 per cent of Bulgarians expect Borissov's cabinet to curb corruption and the misuse of public money. Also, 73 per cent expect the government to crack down on crime, 70 per cent want to see an improvement in Bulgaria's image worldwide, 52 per cent each expect the cabinet to cope with the crisis and to cut unemployment. If elections were held today, GERB would win 46 per cent of the votes, the Socialist Party 12 per cent, Ataka 5 per cent, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms 4 per cent, and the Blue Coalition and Order, Lawfulness, Justice 3.4 per cent each.

***

A story in "Troud" says that GERB has backpedalled on the total ban on changes in the use of swapped forests by setting a time limit - until the passage of a new law. The future law will allow construction on certain conditions and the ban will not apply to municipalities. An amendment to the Forestry Act has been proposed by three GERB MPs to the parliamentary Agriculture and Forestry Committee. "Troud" recalls that Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov said the swaps arranged by the former director of the State Forestry Agency, Stefan Yuroukov, would result in private "boutique" forests at the seaside and in the mountain resorts because the real offence is not the swap of state forests for private forests, but the change in the purpose of swapped areas and their exclusion from the forestry stock, which converts them into construction sites. "Sega" comments that GERB prefers investors to forests.

***

Regional Development Minister Rosen Plevneliev suspended 163 million leva in EU financing for approved projects of 19 municipalities, "Troud" says. The projects should be financed under the Operational Programme "Regional Development", with 85 per cent of the financing coming in the form of EU grant aid. Analysis of the projects showed that they were overpriced as of late last year.

***

"24 Chassa" writes that Ahmed Dogan, leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, spent 15 days at his main job in the National Assembly in four years. He was absent from 543 sittings out of a total of 558 sittings of the previous parliament, and was fined nearly 43,750 leva. He also tops the list of truant MPs in the new parliament.

Ninety staff members of Parliament's administration were made redundant in a 15 per cent cut, which leaves a staff of 495, "Novinar" and "Monitor" write, quoting Parliament leader Tsetska Tsacheva. Her office will have a staff of four instead of six, and each deputy chairperson will have one assistant instead of two as in the previous parliament.

"24 Chassa" also reports that the previous parliament spent 3.5 million leva in travel expenses.

***

"Troud" reports that mayors use black limos and SUVs, while municipalities pay tens of thousands of leva for the vehicles out of their slim budgets. Tsarevo Mayor Petko Arnaudov even took out a municipal loan to buy an office Audi car for 80,000 leva. Pazardjik Mayor Todor Popov bought a Chrysler for nearly 33,000 euro in late May.

***

The hospitals of the Medical University of Sofia will pass under the jurisdiction of Alexandrovska Hospital, and the new entity will merge with the Military Medical Academy (MMA), "24 Chassa" says. The idea is to bring together the scientific and teaching units, MMA Director Stoyan Tonev says. The same will be done in Pleven, Varna and Plovdiv, which also have military hospitals and medical universities.


INTERIOR MINISTRY AND JUDICIARY

A bomb planted in Yavor Mandadjiev's garage killed his wife and older son, while his two-year son is in hospital with injuries. The man has a criminal record. "Terror! Mafia Kills Mother and Child" runs a headline in "Troud".


THE ECONOMY

The Bulgarian economy will shrink 2 per cent due to the crisis, and investments as a percentage of GDP will fall 30 per cent. Household consumption will drop 4.2 per cent by the year's end, according to the mid-term fiscal forecast for 2010-2013 quoted by "24 Chassa". All figures are based on an exchange rate of 1.40 leva to the dollar. Economic recovery will start in 2011, with export as its engine, say the experts of Finance Minister Simeon Djankov. GDP will grow 3.8 per cent in 2011, 4.8 per cent in 2012, and 5 per cent in 2013. "Monitor" writes Bulgaria will emerge from the crisis in two years.

***

"Dnevnik" reports that tourism revenues fell by 12 to 30 per cent in the summer. Industry representatives called the season "tense" and reported losses. Expectations are that next year will not be any better.

Pleven and Stara Zagora are reporting the biggest slumps in property prices, "Troud" says. Bourgas is the city with the biggest housing glut.



Links to some Bulgarian info websites in English:

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


Most discussed topics of the day – September 2, 2009
.
• Bulgaria PM Boyko Borisov has stated that he has come to an agreement with Russia PM Vladimir Putin to be ready with the financial estimates for the Belene NPP by November. Borisov said; "By November, we will make an estimate and will go out and tell people whether it is profitable or not," regarding the Belene nuclear power plant project. "I can not say that there was pressure from Putin. He is an experienced politician. Certainly the Russians pressed and want to have a clear answer," Borisov stated Wednesday on Bulgarian National Television (BNT).

• A group of EU member states insist on imposing more serious sanctions on Bulgaria and Romania over the Verification and Cooperation Mechanism in the field of Justice and Home Affairs, despite the last report on the country covers period of former cabinet’s governing. This is what foreign minister Rumyana Zheleva said during news conference in the Council of Ministers after government’s session, FOCUS News Agency reporter informed. In her words intensive talks on imposing sanctions on Bulgaria and Romania have been held in the EU.

• Burgas-Alexandroupolis project is not at such advanced level as the society was made to think, said Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism Traycho Traykov during news conference in the Council of Ministers after government’s session, FOCUS News Agency reporter informed. “One of the most important aspects of this project is how save it is for the environment because after all our nature does not coast USD 30 mln. However, if we take those 30 mln in a safe way by observing all economic and ecological practices we will not give up,” minister said. According to him the project is still a building site. Government’s position on Belene NPP remains the same for now.