Bulgarian press review, November 24, 2009

Press Review
Sofia, November 24 (BTA)

THE HOME SCENE

"Troud" writes that right-wing Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB) have accused President Georgi Purvanov of sabotaging Bulgaria's foreign policy. Purvanov refused to recall Bulgarian Ambassador to the US Luchezar Petkov after a government's motion over irregularities in the July overseas vote. DSB also hit at the GERB party for not opposing the President openly.

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Under the headline "Why on Earth Does Bulgaria Need Ambassadors?", "Sega" writes that the President's refusal to recall the two ambassadors (to US and Turkey) on the motion of the cabinet should be a warning to Prime Minister Boyko Borissov to take his time with any dismissals. Unlike purges under foreign ministers Stoyan Ganev (1990-1991) and Nadezhda Mihailova (1997-2001), which were backed by Presidents Zhelyu Zhelev and Petar Stoyanov, Borissov is forced to work with a president of "a different blood group". According to the author, the harder part is the new appointments. The government is risking to leave the Bulgarian diplomatic missions unmanned for a long time, as the President does not have to sign appointments that he does not approve. The Prime Minister is yet to learn how to bargain. However, if he decides to act with a firm hand and recalls the diplomats, it will become clear that Bulgaria can actually do without ambassadors.

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"Troud" carries a report on the Fund for Overseas Child Treatment ("24 Million Leva Returned to Treasury, Children Left Untreated"). An audit has found that the Fund has returned nearly 24 million leva to the Treasury which could have been used to save the lives of hundreds of children. The amount has been set aside by the budget over a four-year period, between 2005 and 2008. As a state body, the Fund has to return the money it has failed to utilize. The report also contains recommendations on how to streamline the Fund's operations.

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"Dnevnik" puts reforms in the health care system under consideration. The daily describes the bill to amend the Health Insurance Act as controversial and failing to solve the underlying problems of the health insurance system. If the GERB government is indeed determined to fulfill its programme, it has to move a new health insurance bill which introduces private insurance accounts with private insurers and a consultative council with the Finance Ministry to set in place price forming mechanisms for basic medical service.

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"Standart News" quotes Defence Minister Nickolay Mladenov as saying that the Defence Ministry will set aside 100 million leva from its budget to ensure the participation of Bulgarian personnel in overseas military missions. Mladenov took part in a conference on European security and defence. The Minister stressed that there will be money for salaries and benefits.

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"Standart News" reports that a panel will decide who is fit to become a professor, under a new bill presented on Monday by Education Minister Sergei Ignatov. The Higher Certifying Commission will be replaced by a small Appellate Commission which will control the legality of procedures for academic rank attainment. The bill stipulates three academic positions in the universities: assistant professor, associate professor and professor. These positions will be valid only for the respective university.
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"Troud" runs an interview with GERB Secretary Krassimir Velchev about allegations that companies close to Prime Minister Boyko Borissov are being awarded tender contracts. Velchev says he disagrees with calls that Borissov's acquaintances should be excluded from taking part in tenders. As long as tenders are held in a transparent way, everybody should be allowed to apply. Otherwise, this will mean discrimination, Velchev thinks.

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"BSP Reports Fidossova for Corruption," headlines "Troud". Kornelia Ninova, Spokesperson of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, said Monday that she is going to submit an alert to the anti-corruption commission in Parliament about GERB floor leader Iskra Fidossova. The move has been prompted by Fidossova's declaration under the Conflict of Interests Act. According to Ninova, Fidossova has violated the law by failing to indicate the total amount of the loans she has taken. For her part Fidossova says that she is not the least bit concerned and insists that she has filled her declaration correctly.

ECONOMY

In a commentary for "Troud", former deputy finance minister Lyubomir Datsov says that the 2010 budget continues former Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev's social flirting. According to Datsov, besides a multitude of "technical errors" and wrong calculations, it is unclear as to what policies are laid down, or what reforms will be carried out and how. The key question is whether the agenda of the previous government, which avoided drastic reforms, will be replaced. Datsov goes on to say that to his surprise he found very few differences between the two governments. People like him are expecting a balanced budget in 2010. In case there is deficit, it should be spent on reducing social insurance contributions or on making investments, which Datsov views as the basis of an effective anti-crisis policy. Instead, what he sees is flirting with social expenditures just like the Stanishev cabinet did.

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Former deputy finance minister Georgi Kadiev warns in "24 Chassa" that there is a risk that budget revenues will be by some 1,000 million leva short of target. Kadiev recommends setting buffers in the budget while it is still being voted in Parliament. Otherwise, it will have to be updated by September 2010. Kadiev projects that the 0.7 per cent deficit set for 2010 will increase to over 2 per cent, as the gap in revenues will be filled from the fiscal reserve.

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"24 Chassa" reports that the 72 million leva from the European Social Fund will be extended to eight nationally representative organizations and employer organizations, according to Labour Minister Totyu Mladenov. Each will be implementing a project on measures to improve the labour market between 2009 and 2013. The Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria will draw up an index to measure the working climate, or how safe workers feel in their workplaces, while the Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association will draw up an index to measure the grey economy.

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"Pari" reports that fears over the economic crisis have already subsided and that Bulgarians are optimistic about the future. Some 60 per cent do not expect economic conditions to worsen, shows a nationally representative survey of the Open Institute in October. The number of optimists is three times higher compared with March, the highest since the onset of the crisis, data show. Drawing on the results of the survey, leading economists have concluded that although the economy is picking up, reforms should be sustained.


FOREIGN POLICY

"Hillary Commends Bulgaria on Corruption Fight," reports "Monitor". In her remarks after the meeting with Foreign Minister Rumiana Jeleva, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said: "I commended Bulgaria's efforts to root out corruption, to hold people accountable, to end impunity for public officials. I also congratulated the foreign minister on Bulgaria’s efforts to bring greater transparency to the energy sector." Jeleva detailed her American counterpart on the work of the prosecution authorities and the pre-trial proceedings against high-profile figures and the political elite.

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 – November 24, 2009


· Two Bulgarian policemen died overnight in a car crash in the northwestern Municipality of Hairedin. The accident happened shortly after midnight as their police car was discovered to have hit a roadside tree. The driver, 40-year-old Valeri Gavrilov from the town of Kozloduy died immediately; his partner, 41-year-old Ivaylo Zahariev died later in the hospital. The two officers were covering a night shift from 9:30 pm until 6:30 am. The causes of the mysterious crash are under investigation.

· The director of the Fund for Overseas Medical Treatment of Bulgarian Children, Nikolai Dobrev, announced Tuesday his resignation. It came only a day after the National Audit Office made public the findings of an audit at the fund and said that it underspent the available funding while children were kept waiting too long for approval to be sent for medical treatment abroad.