Bulgarian press review, November 30, 2009

Press Review
Sofia, November 30 (BTA)

THE HOME SCENE

"Troud" quotes Prime Minister Boyko Borissov as saying that he would miss former Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha [2001-2005] after his exit on Saturday from politics. In an interview on the national radio, Borissov said that he felt regret over the lack of political class in Bulgaria and the fact that Coburg-Gotha with his wisdom was leaving politics. Borissov went on to say that Coburg-Gotha could be a role model for politicians like himself who are prone to act rashly. Coburg-Gotha gave up his leadership of the National Movement for Surge and Stability (NMSS) after Hristina Hristova succeeded him at the NMSS helm at an extraordinary congress.

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"Troud" caps "Martin Dimitrov Leads in UDF Leadership Race". According to estimates of the headquarters of the Union of Democratic Forces based on a third of counted votes 67 per cent were for Dimitrov. The second place was contested by Lyuben Petrov and Roumen Hristov. Some 11,338 UDF members voted for a UDF leader and seven deputies.

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In an interview for "24 Chassa", NMSS leader Hristina Hristova says the NMSS may nominate Meglena Kuneva's for president. Hristova specifies that this is her personal opinion as no talks have been held on Kuneva's bid. The new NMSS leader thinks that against the backdrop of rising political hatred people would soon start to look for tolerance, pragmatism and stability in the movement politics. The NMSS is an out-of-parliament opposition force, and their future partners would be sought among centre-right parties. Local chapters called on the movement to distance itself from its former coalition partners, the Bulgarian Socialist Party and the Movement for Rights and Freedom.

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"Standart News" runs a comment in which the National Movement for Surge and Stability and the Union of Democratic Forces are called "dying swans". The author says that both parties have shipwrecked because of the same reason: "they abused the trust of people who believed in their ideals". They got involved in dubious practices and lost their moral compass. Today the smoke-filled landscape in the NMSS and the UDF is littered with political corpses and lurking pillagers. However, no new charismatic leaders are in sight, nor any inspiring messages which would bring them to life. The sad stories of the UDF and the NMSS could teach other major players, GERB and the Bulgarian Socialist Party, a lesson: that Bulgarians are quick to trust and even quicker to get disappointed."

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In an interview for "Standart News", Environment Minister Nona Karadjova says that revenues from sales of toll stickers will be used to clean areas adjacent to roads. Karadjova confirms that court action against Bulgaria in the area of environment has been taken after alerts by non-governmental organizations. NGOs have even attempted to block projects which are environmentally safe.

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In an interview for "Sega", MP Hassan Ademov of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) says that hospitals in MRF-dominated regions may be intentionally put at disadvantage. Ademov highlights the fact that some amendments to existing laws centralize health insurance, while others liberalize it. In 2010, the Health Insurance Fund (NHF) will not pay hospitals under clinical pathways for which no full-time specialists are employed. Many hospitals won't be working with the NHF and will be driven out of the market, warns Ademov.

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In an interview for "Troud" ("Why Would Media Give out Sentences"), former labour minister Emilia Maslarova says that she has always strived for integrity in her work. She is categorical that allegations of embezzlement against her are unfair. Maslarova raises the question since when the Internet forums have replaced the judiciary. "When a power gives out sentences in the media and through Internet forums, this means that it is powerless and it is trying to crush its opponents not with facts, but by innuendos," says Maslarova.

ECONOMY

In a comment for "Troud", NMSS leader Hristina Hristova says that the budget will burden financially the young families. On the surface social expenditures in the 2010 budget have been increased (by 4.7 percentage points) and are declared a priority. Based on this fact and the fact that for the first time a budget sets 42 per cent of GDP for social spending, the budget has to be the most social of all budgets. But when you look deeper at how social expenditures are broken down, it turns out that the burden will fall on the most vulnerable groups: young families, the unemployed and people with disabilities.

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"Troud" reports that banks will have to inform customers in a letter of any changes in interest rates on consumer loans under a bill tabled in Parliament. Once adopted, penal interest rates in case loans are cleared prematurely, sometimes reaching as high as 5 per cent, will become history. In the future they will not exceed 1 per cent, and if the interest rate is variable, no compensation will be due. Consumer loans in Bulgaria total 1,017 million leva.

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"Sega" writes that low interest rates will not just happen. The article points that quick, easy and popular decisions do not work where interest rates are concerned. Daring reforms are needed which will bring Bulgaria closer to the Eurozone, which will sustain stability, increase trust, and make the country more attractive to investors. The stable budget is already bearing fruit and rates are no longer growing. In order to achieve positive results more reforms should be undertaken.

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In a "Monitor" interview, Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova vows not to raise municipal taxes. Fandakova is aware that the crisis is affecting families worst. The municipality will do its best to balance and improve compliance rates. It will also rely on external funding under operational programmes.

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"Douma" reports that the National Association of Municipalities calls for a tax on uncultivated land to promote land consolidation and to develop a European type of agriculture. The Association says that uncultivated land in Bulgaria exceeds 550,000 ha. If a tax is levied on uncultivated land, owners will want to sell it, which will invigorate the land market.

BULGARIA-EU

In an interview for "Telegraf", Foreign Minister Rumiana Jeleva says that her portfolio is recognition for Bulgaria. She underscores that her portfolio is very important as disasters strike all the time all over the world. Jeleva says that she is pleased that she will report to the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs. She says that Bulgaria has managed to carve for itself a very influential portfolio.
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"24 Chassa" carries an analysis (So Saving People in Trouble Is Bad, Huh?) on the disappointment among certain groups over the portfolio Bulgarian EU Commissioner Rumiana Jeleva was offered [International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response]. The author recalls that in 2008 the European Commission spent nearly 1,000 million euro in 60 countries worldwide on crisis response. It is clear that this portfolio is extremely important as the Lisbon Treaty, which comes into force, sets out humanitarian aid as an independent policy. Taking into consideration the portfolio nature, its objectives and the huge funds set aside, all opinions which try to detract from it are foolish, ill-informed and do not respect human life.

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"Sega" front-pages that EU member states will be able to seize assets in Bulgaria under an initiative for mutual recognition and execution of confiscation orders of the Council of the European Union.

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 30, 2009

· University student Roumen Gouninski, who was kidnapped on October 19 2009, was released late on November 29, the Interior Ministry said. He was released by his kidnappers near the town of Elin Pelin just outside Sofia.
Gouninski was in good physical condition but in a bad psychological state given the time he had spent with kidnappers, Interior Ministry chief commissioner Klain Georgiev told private bTV on November 30 2009.
Both Georgiev and Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov refused to comment on whether Gouninski's father had paid a ransom to release his son amid speculation that 500 000 leva had been given to the kidnappers.
According to Tsvetanov, investigations were still underway and giving such information would only undermine police efforts to find the kidnappers. However, he said, the circumstances surrounding Gouninski's release bore similarities to various unsolved kidnappings over the past two years. This could suggest that the kidnappers were the same people, he said.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, the father of Gouninski denied having paid a ransom to his son's kidnappers. Gouninski Jr. said he was well and was glad that everything was over. He added that the kidnappers treated him well.

· Actress and model Dessy Zidarova was viciously beaten by two men at around 9pm on November 29 2009 in Sofia's Lozenets borough, police said. She sustained serious leg injuries in the attack and was subsequently admitted to hospital. Her life is not said to be in any danger. She was attacked while leaving her beauty salon together with a male employee who also injured while trying to help her.
Zidarova's colleague, however, only sustained mild injuries and was discharged by doctors. According to Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov, this suggested that the brutal attack was aimed directly at Zidarova.

· An earthquake measuring about 3.5-3.7 by Richter scale has been registered in the country at 7.48 am on Monday, the Civil Protection press office announced. The epicenter of the jolt was located some 430 km northeastern from the capital Sofia. The tremor was probably felt in some towns and villages in Dobrich and Varna district.