Bulgarian Press Review, October 16, 2009

Press Review
Sofia, October 16 (BTA)

FOREIGN POLICY

Reporting the official visit to Sofia of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi Thursday, "Monitor" leads with the news that the visiting Italian government leader invited Bulgaria to join a project for a gas pipeline from Greece to Italy. "Klassa" (front page) highlights Berlusconi's vow to support Bulgaria's request for extra compensations for the early decommissioning of reactors at the Kozloduy N-plant. Berlusconi is quoted there as saying that the South Stream gas pipeline project should get started. "Berlusconi: We Can Do More Together" headlines the Berlusconi story in "Troud" and "Berlusconi Is First to Come to B.B." in "24 Chassa" [B.B. for Prime Minister Boyko Borissov].

"24 Chassa" notes that this has been the first Sofia visit by a prime minister since Boyko Borissov took office as Bulgaria's government leader. It also reports that Borissov had prepared for his guest a gift including a replica of the Panagyurishte gold treasure and a collection of fine Bulgarian wine.

An analysis in "Standard News" says that "our friends in Europe are worthy of Hollywood glory: Sarcozy and Berlusconi were the end of the humdrum Bulgarian politics". The mention of French President Nicolas Sarcozy is a reference to Prime Minister Borissov's Paris visit earlier this month.

***
The Sofia visit of Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping also gets front-page coverage.
"Pari" runs a story entitled "China Came with USD840". "Troud" writes that the signing of six agreements worth close to 850 million dollars here on Thursday was a decisive step toward overcoming the imbalances in Bulgaria-China trade. An agreement was signed between Litex Commerce and Great Wall Motor whereby a car factory near Lovech in Northern Bulgaria will be making SUVs at a price of less than 15,000 dollars; another agreement for sale of electrolytic copper by Aurubis Bulgaria for 800 million dollars; as well as a 5 million euro lending agreement between the two countries' development banks.

***
A front-page story in "24 Chassa" says that the days are numbered of the long lines of vehicles waiting to cross between Bulgaria and Greece at the Kulata checkpoint. From mid-November, travellers will be checked only on the Greek side by joint Bulgarian-Greek teams of border police, in a matter of minutes, the story says quoting Border Police chief Commissioner Zaharin Penov. An identical system has been operational at the Bulgarian-Romanian border for several years now and is now being introduced at the border with Greece under an agreement with Athens. If the Kulata project is successful, the same practice will be adopted by the other two crossings on the common border: at Ilinden and at Kapitan Petko Voyvoda. He also says that a delay in meeting the Schengen requirements has been set off by fast action in the past two months.

ECONOMY

A front-page story in "Dnevnik" reports of contemplated changes in the lending legislation whereby banks will be required to inform personally each client before they change the interest rate on credits. The amendments have been prepared by the Economy Ministry and the central bank, and are expected to take effect from June 1, 2010 - if they are approved by Parliament.
At present there is no formal requirement for banks to notify clients when they adjust their interest rates, and they do that with notices posted in the bank offices, on their Websites or by letters and text messages to the clients' phone. By the proposed legislation which complies with a new EU directive on consumer credits, clients should be notified on paper or another durable medium, "Dnevnik" writes.

***
In a "Dnevnik" interview, EBRD's First Vice President Varel Freeman says that "the worst is behind us but the bad is not over yet". Freeman has just had his first talks with the new Bulgarian government. He says that the Bank's priority is the real economy. The story says that the EBRD expects investment in Bulgaria to contract by 32 per cent. It also expects the recession to be longest in countries with a currency board arrangement.

Foreign direct investments have dropped by 57.6 per cent, or 2,653 million euro, over a year, according to central bank figures cited by "Monitor".

According to "Douma", the European Commission has put Bulgaria among the economies with a lowest risk during the ongling crisis due to its sound finances before the crisis. The group of low-risk countries also includes Sweden, Denmark, Findland and Estonia. There are 13 high-risk nations, including the UK, Spain and Greece.

***
"Statistics finally reported the impoverishment of Bulgarians," "Sega" says in a front-page story. While in July incomes were 40 leva more on month, in August they were 17.49 leva less.

***
In a "Pari" interview, the regional manager of power distribution company CEZ Bulgaria, Blahoslav Faimon, says he is positive that the majority of their clients want the three-monthly meter reading to remain and the rest just donТt understand the payment system in detail. He also says that investment in the electricity distribution network will immediately send up the price of electricity.

THE HOME SCENE

Financial Supervision Committee Chairman Peter Chobanov says in a "Troud" interview that he expects no collapse on the Stock Exchange. He also says that emerging from the crisis will be a slow process.

***
"Ataka" reports that the Bulgarian Telecommunications Company remains Bulgarian after the government decided to keep its golden share in the telecoms opeartor.

***
In a "Troud" interview, former Prime Minister Dimiter Popov calls upon the government to step up work. He says he is totally supportive of the way Prime Minister Borissov "talks, makes new commitments and gives up old ones when they cannot be honoured".

***
"Sega" reports that all election papers from six polling stations in the US have been destroyed. The story quotes a letter from the Foreign Minister's Chef de cabinet, Dimiter Kyumyurdjiev, to a parliamentary committee of inuqiry Yavor Notev.

In "Pogled", MPs and lawyers are quoted as saying that the results of voting in Turkey in the Bulgarian general elections (July 5) will be annulled following an alert for violations in the elections submitted to the prosecuting magistracy by Foreign Minister Jeleva.


***
In a "Standard News" interview, former Interior Minister and now Left MP Roumen Petkov says the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) "need Sergei [Stanishev] alive but not as leader. The interview is run days ahead of a congress where BSP is expected to re-elect its chairman Stanishev or elect a new leader. "Douma" carries interviews with Krassimir Premyanov of the Open Forum faction in BSP, and with Yanaki Stoilov of the Left Wing.

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS

The Friday papers report the Thursday resignation of two members of the Supreme Judicial Council over a corruption scandal. Judges Stoiko Stoev and Ivan Dimov gained notoriety after it was revealed that they had been in telephone contact with a Pleven-based businessman, Krassimir "Krassyo" Georgiev, who allegedly helped magistrates secure senior appointments for large payoffs.

"24 Chassa" reports that Georgiev bought a property from the Defence Ministry in the Northeastern town of Shoumen at an outrageously low price.The property - 4,108 sq m with five industrial buildings - was bought in a tender in 2008 at a price of 45 leva/sq m.

***
All papers report the pending dismissal of two policemen who were found to have had sex with a 15-year-old girl who sought their help. The incident occurred in July but charges against them were pressed on Wednesday. It gets front-page prominence in "Tefegraf" and "Novinar".

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 16, 2009


· The Members of the Bulgarian Parliament voted through the amendments of the National States Security Agency (SANS) Act on Friday. The amendments aim at eliminating doubling the functions of the Interior Ministry and SANS and at emphasizing the intelligence and information activities of SANS. The amendments remove the use of undercover agents by SANS as well as the right to make arrests unless the location is a facility under SANS control.

· А three-judge panel of the Supreme Administrative Court repealed a decision of the previous government, which had relieved Ivan Drashkov of his post as vice president of SANS. The ruling is appealable within two weeks with a five-judge panel of the Court. If the ruling is upheld, the current Government of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov will have to decide what to do with Drashkov, whose presence in the upper echelons of the special services has caused serious internal controversies and conflicts.

· The city organizations of GERB, the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) and the Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB) signed Friday an agreement for cooperation in the November 15 by-elections for Sofia Mayor.