Bulgarian Press Review, October 14, 2009

Press Review
Sofia, October 14 (BTA)

HOME SCENE

"Standart News" reports that state-owned companies will have to yield 50 per cent of their profit for 2008 to the public purse instead of investing it if the cabinet approves a proposal by Finance Minister Simeon Djankov. Six companies are mentioned in the daily: Sofia Airport, Kintex, Bulgarian Energy Holding, Bulgarian Posts, Bulgartabac and Information Services Plc.

"Douma" reports that seven railway stations saw protests by railwaymen over wages on Tuesday morning. Railway carrier BDZ and the Railway Infrastructure National Company (RINC) are rowing over a dire money shortage. The latter company is threatening to stop trains unless BDZ starts paying. RINC employees staged protests without any warning at seven railway stations.

"Troud" has interviewed Tsvetan Raichinov, Chairman of the Bulgarian Medical Association, who says doctors will stage protests again. "Ataka" writes that health care has hit the bottom and should start going up after Health Consumer Powerhouse said in early October that Bulgaria ranked last, in 33rd place, in its annual Health Consumer Index ranking.

"Dnevnik" reports that no construction will take place in Mount Vitosha near Sofia for now after Environment Minister Nona Karadjova cancelled an opinion of Sofia environmental inspectorate which authorized a ski zone extension in August.

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS

"Monitor" reports that the names of more than 30 senior politicians figure in the phone book of businessman Krassimir Georgiev. "24 Chassa" writes about three Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) members - Stoiko Stoev, Ivan Dimov and Plamen Stoilov - who allegedly had contacts with the Pleven-based businessman. SJC member Ivan Kolev claims that Georgiev secured the support of SJC members for nominees for responsible positions in the judiciary for 200,000 euro. The Union of Judges urged the three to resign. Interviewed by the daily, Stoiko Stoev says that he made his decision the moment the prosecutor general stated the facts, and would make it known on Thursday. Stoev says he knew Georgiev and had nothing to be ashamed of. Stoev adds that he was on the team drafting the magistrates' code of ethics and that ethics is something that is inside one and cannot come as a judgement from the outside.

Ivan Dimov, who is in London as head of the SJC international commission, is not planning to resign but the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) is looking for him to have him dismissed, "Troud" writes. He was nominated by that party and the MPs can call for early dismissal of their nominees. As to Plamen Stoilov, Georgiev called him once but Stoilov did not talk with him and does not know him, "Troud" says.

"Dnevnik" says the replacement of some members would save the SJC.

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Peter Slavov, ProCredit Bank's Chairman of the Management Board and Executive Director saw some young men beating up a teenager and "saved his life", "24 Chassa" says. He called the police who wished him good night and said they would not send policemen on the scene since the incident was over. For its part, the Sofia Directorate of the Interior said a patrol car visited the scene later on, as soon as it could make it there. In a recent accident a schoolboy was killed by his classmate and none of the onlookers called the police to prevent this.


THE ECONOMY

"Klassa" quotes a survey by Coface Bulgaria which shows that the number of bankrupt companies increased by 141 per cent in the first nine months of the year. The registered procedures number 239 as against 99 a year earlier. Bankruptcy hit new industries, including mining, the media, tourism and services.

"24 Chassa" reports that the new cabinet saved 500 million leva in two months. The government managed to shrink the September budget deficit to 62.3 million leva from 564 million leva at the end of July when GERB took office.

"Monitor" quotes Bozhidar Danev, President of the Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA), as saying that the 2010 budget is conservative and BIA firmly supports it.

"24 Chassa" reports that between 65,000 and 70,000 boar roam all parts of the country except the plains and unforested areas. The boar population grows by up to 4 per cent a year and destroys crops. Hunters killed around 20,000 boar during the season, which is way below the target of 50,000, set on the basis of a nearly 100 per cent annual growth.

FOREIGN POLICY

The dailies note that former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing advised Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, who visited France, that the government should make bold, ever drastic reforms in justice, with a quick generational renewal of the magistrates. The two are good friends and the former French President had his guest over for breakfast at his place.

A comment in "Troud" says that Borissov's manly politics enchanted Paris. "24 Chassa" says the prime minister's first official visit abroad proved the power of direct talk. "The new Bulgarian prime minister does not appear to be a great diplomat. But at a time when the world is tired of diplomatic evasion and when financial and economic illusions are being dashed, direct talk obviously appeals to people. At least to the French," says an opinion piece in "24 Chassa".

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The Order of the Balkan Range will be conferred on Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who will make an official visit from October 15 at Borissov's invitation, "24 Chassa" reports. "Standart News" says Berlusconi will confer the Italian Order of Merit on Borissov. Italian Ambassador Stefano Benazzo says in "Standart News" that Berlusconi will be visiting to an old friend and that this is an important visit because it is the first by a prime minister since Borissov headed the government.

In a "24 Chassa" interview, newly-appointed German Ambassador Matthias Hoepfner says he is optimistic that the cabinet will carry out successful reforms. Bulgaria is attractive to German investors, he adds.

SOCIETY

"24 Chassa" reports that Bulgarian Georgi Dochev had no idea that he was in the company of Boyzone star Stephen Gately whose body he discovered. The daily learned this from the "El Mundo" office in Majorca, which Dochev contacted from his home on the island.



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 – October 14, 2009

· A detailed analyze of the situation in the Bulgarian Railway System has been carried over the last two months. The results showed the Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ) and the National Railroad Infrastructure Company (NRIC) have been brought to bankruptcy through wasting, unprofessional management for many years. This is what Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Alexander Tsvetkov annaunced. It became clear that the Bulgarian government will provide extra subsidy to the railways at the amount of BGN 7 million for salaries.

· Mihail Mihailov and Rumen Riza have been sworn in Wednesday as MPs for the rightist Blue Coalition and ethnic Turkish DPS party respectively. The MPs replace MP Byurhan Abazov from the ethnic Turkish Movements for Rights and Freedoms party (DPS) elected from the Ruse Electoral District, and Ventsislav Varbanov from the Blue Coalition elected from the Dobrich Electoral District who were forced to to vacate their seats because of 24 votes that have been miscounted in the city of Ruse during the July 2009 Parliamentary Elections.

· The Bulgarian National Health Insurance Fund management will be changed it became clear Wednesday after the Bulgaria Parliament refused to accept the Fund’s report for the last year. The Chairman of the health committee in parliament, Luchezar Ivanov of the governing center-right GERB party, stated that the head of the NHIF Rumyana Todorova and until recently chairman of the governing council Emil Rainov are both politically loaded people, who are not capable of making policies for the necessary reforms at the Fund.