Bulgarian press review, January 26, 2010

Press Review
Sofia, January 26



FOREIGN POLICY

The press leads on the rocket attack on Afghanistan's Kandahar Airport in which three Bulgarian servicemen received severe injuries. "Bulgarian ranger is in coma after a Taliban attack in Afghanistan," writes "Novinar". "Troud" has an interview with outgoing Defence Minister Nickolay Mladenov where he provides details about the condition of the three servicemen.

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"24 Chassa" quotes knowledgeable sources as saying that the presence of Defence Minister Mladenov in Kandahar provoked the attack. Security experts tell this paper that the outgoing defence minister and future Bulgarian foreign minister broke the basic safety rules. First, he gave publicity to his visit immediately after landing in Kabul. Second, he went on an unprecedented five-day visit while all his predecessors and counterparts of other countries which have troops there fly in the night, do their job during the day and fly back home in the evening. Third, it was too big a risk to stay at the Kandahar base, especially when it was too easy to figure out where he was headed after Kabul (to Kandahar, where Bulgaria has the biggest contingent).

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Deputy Defence Minister Anyu Angelov tells "Standard News" that Mladenov's visit was kept a secret until the last momnent.

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The Tuesday press provides coverage of the Berlin visit of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov. A sample of headlines: "Merkel Commends PM Borissov's European Policy" ("Troud"), "German Investment on Condition of Judicial Reforms" ("24 Chassa"), "Merkel Gives Support for Euro, Schengen" ("Telegraf").

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The Bulgarian authorities have long been aware of the problems in the water sector and the latest letter by Dirk Ahner, the Director General at the Directorate General for Regional Policy in the European Commission, was only a reminder, this DG's Spokesman, Dennis Abbott, told "Dnevnik". The remark was prompted by Prime Minister Borissov's statement of Sunday that the previous government kept secret the letters it got from Brussels warning it of problems with the EU funding for the water sector. Abbot is quotes as saying that all facts in Ahner's letter are known as they have repeatedly been discussed at meetings of the new Bulgarian administration and Commission experts. A "Sega" analysis says that the hiden-the-letter game does not excuse Borissov's government and smears Bulgaria's image.

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"Troud" carries an interview with Greek Ambassador Danae-Madeleine Koumanakou who says that the actions of the protesting Greek farmers are an expression of the democratic principles underlying the functioning of Greece and are not aimed against Bulgaria, which is a friendly neighbouring country. She said that the Greek government is urging dialogue with the protesters and wants to resolve the problems and see the blockade of the Bulgarian-Greek border lifted the soonest possible.

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A front-page story in "Klassa" says that the losses the border blockade is causing Bulgarian businesses are snowballing and have likely crossed the 80 million leva mark.

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The commission in charge of opening the secret files of the communist-era State Security service will run a check for Kristalina Georgieva, the Bulgarian EU Commissioner-designate, Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov said Monday. The check is aimed to dispell suspicions about her affiliation with the communist services and will be done with Georgieva's consent.

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In "24 Chassa", Prime Minister Borissov explains his support for the application of former Deputy Prime Minister Meglena Plougchieva (in the Sergei Stanishev government) for a senior position at the EBRD, with his belief that Bulgarians holding high offices "will have one eye on Bulgaria". This is the Prime Minister's response to criticism that he shouldn't have supported a person who has been part of the previous government.

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In a "Troud" interview, Swedish Ambassador Paul Beijer provides details on his country's plans to close down embassies and open new ones. The Swedish Embassy in Sofia will close on September 30. "In Sweden, like in Bulgaria, budgetary discipline is strictly observed and this involves difficult decisions," he says.The Sofia office of the Swedish Trade Council remains. An honorary consulate will be establish to deal with visa issues for non-Bulgarians.

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS

The cases of three ministers of the Stanishev government - Emilia Maslarova (Labour and Social Policy), Nikolai Tsonev (Defence) and Valeri Tsvetanov (Agriculture), are about to enter the trial phase, says "Troud". Sofia city prosecutor Nikolai Kokinov reportedly said that the malfeasance-in-office investigation against Maslarova will be completed in early February. He would not say whether or not she will be indicted but sources of the prosecuting magistracy are adamant that Maslarova broke the Public Procurement Act. Tsvetanov's case for unlawful land swaps will enter the court two weeks from now. The paper adds that the former head of the National Revenue Agency, Maria Mourgina, will be tried for four offences, including tax evasion.

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In a "Troud" interview, Kokinov says that all members of the Naglite [Impudent] kidnapping group are facing trial. He says that 10 people have been arrested in this case and most of them are willing to cooperate, trying to downplay their own role in the ring and aggravate the situation of their mates.

THE HOME SCENE

"Douma" ("40 Years of Service for Pension"), "Dnevnik" ("Pensions' Dilemma: at 63 or 65 Years") and "Sega" ("Dramatic Increase of Required Length of Service for Pension") lead on contemplated changes in the pension system concerning the age of retirement and the amount of pensions. The changes were proposed by an advisory board on the pension reform and were made public Monday by Labour Minister Totyu Mladenov.

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"Dnevnik" reports that the government is willing to allow an increase of the budget deficit to 1.7 per cent of the expected GDP. The extraordinary expenses will be for payment of outstanding liabilities to the private sector.

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The next six months will be decisive for making tangible the effect from EU funding, Centre for Economic Development head Georgi Prohaski says in a "Klassa" interview. He does not expects problems with achieving the revenue target in the national budget and even sees a likelyhood of surplus.

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The real estate market is faced with a new collapse because of mortgaged homes: 37 per cent of home sellers experienced financial problems last year, "Klassa" says on its front page. The market could be flooded by offers of bank-owned homes and this will push prices further down and cause a collapse in the real estate business, says Tsevtelina Tasseva, CEO of the real estate broker Address. Experts say that an increasing number of banks are considering the establishment of own home brokerage units to sell mortgaged homes.

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"Troud" reports that 231 schools in Northern and Eastern Bulgaria will be closed for cold days. The temperatures reached record-setting lows in eight towns. It was worst in Glavinitsa in Northeastern Bulgaria which had minus 29 C (down from the previous record of minus 26 C in 1982).

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In a side effect of the cold spell, traffic police no longer use batons to stop cars for inspection: they stop them by using the lights and siren of the patrol car - and stay inside the patrol car, "24 Chassa" reports. That has been allowed by the law for many years now but is being put into practice only recently as temperatures plemmetted below zero.

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 – Sofia, January 26, 2010

· Bulgarian Defense Minister Nikolay Mladenov has called Taliban claims that the rocket attack on the NATO Air Base in Kandahar was targeted personally at him “absurd”. The three injured Bulgarian troops have not been transported to the military hospital in Landstuhl in Germany yet. It is still not clear when that will happen. The forth injured - Sergent Aleksandrov, who is said to be in the worst condition, is stable, but still on life support.

· Bulgaria's Transport Ministry has advised Bulgarian citizens not to undertake travels to Greece as the protests by Greek farmers against falling subsidies entered into a second week and their stand toughened. At 11:00 p.m. the Greek farmers again blocked Promachonas checkpoint and no trucks are allowed to cross the border at Kulata checkpoint. Cars and buses can cross it freely. There is no information when the blockade will be lifted.

· Bulgaria's new centre-right government will launch a procedure for new private investors for its majority stake in the planned Belene nuclear power plant by the end of the year. There was reportedly renewed interest by big German energy companies to participate in Bulgarian projects. Representatives of these companies were to start negotiations in Sofia next week.