Bulgarian press review, January 7, 2010

Press Review
Sofia, January 7



THE HOME SCENE

In a leading headline "Sega" says that Prime Minister Boyko Borissov threatened with dismissal Minister without Portfolio Bojidar Dimitrov who is responsible for Bulgarians abroad. The report on the topic in the daily says that Dimitrov's binding Turkey's bid to join the European Union with the problem with the compensations for the refugees from Eastern Thrace in Bulgaria proved a big diplomatic gaffe. In an interview to BTV on Wednesday evening Borissov said that he has warned Dimitrov with dismissal. Borissov argued in the interview that Dimitrov's statement about the compensations wanted by Bulgarian refugees might have come form a museum curator or a historian but not from a cabinet member. Some of the newspapers' reports on the topic say that Dimitrov's statement earned him a "yellow card".

Deputy Foreign Minister Marin Raikov is quoted as saying that Bulgaria's position is that there is no direct link between unresolved Bulgaria-Turkey issues and the enlargement of the European Union.

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The murder Tuesday of notorious TV and radio anchorman Boris "Boby" Tsankov (30) continues to be a headline news item. On Wednesday the prosecution authority pressed charges against Krassimir Marinov for instigating Tsankov's murder, the newspapers write. Marinov himself was arrested in the wake of Tsankov's murder. He and his younger brother, Nikolai Marinov, aka the Marguins brothers, are believed to be involved in organizing several contract killings in the past years.
"Sega" notes that the charges against Krassimir Marinov for Tsankov's killing were pressed shortly before the expiry of the 24 hours of his remand. Now that the indictment has been made Marinov will remain in custody.
"Sega" asks in a comment when the Interior Ministry will be able to react properly to what the author describes as the "impudent" provocations of criminals. The author goes on to say that in terms of domestic politics, Tsankov's killing is symptomatic and "a very impudent blink of the eye of the criminal world to the powers that be". The latest murder took place just shortly after operations of the Interior Ministry, the services and the prosecuting magistracy against kidnappers and highway robbers which were commended as having hit the highest levels of organized crime, says the author.

"Standart News" notes that Tsankov was a thug, and not an investigative reporter as described by the Western press. The author of the comment says that Tsankov was a typical cheater of the transition to a market democracy who conned people during broadcasts. The Western media got it wrong in their reports of Tsankov's killing but there is nothing surprising in this given that the bulk of what takes place in Bulgaria is like an encounter with an UFO to the civilized world, says the author.

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In an interview to "24 Chassa" Krassimir Velchev, organizational secretary of GERB and floor co-leader of the party in Parliament, voices fears that the criminals may now target GERB leader and Prime Minister Boyko Borissov. Velchev says that the mission of GERB and Borissov is to "get things right in Bulgaria". However, continues Velchev, Borissov has made many enemies in the past ten years, both in the criminal world and the political elite.
Velchev says also that his is equally concerned about Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov. GERB's organizational secretary describes Tsvetanov as the only person in the government who undertook many decisive steps, as should do all ministries.

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"Troud" quotes National Assembly Chairperson Tsetska Tsacheva as saying that as a citizen she agrees to have her e-mails looked up by the Interior Ministry provided that this helps ensure her and her family's security. She commented amendments to the Electronic Communications Act and said that there will be new revisions between the first and second reading debate of the bill but that the philosophy and spirit of the law will remain the same as it was voted at the first reading discussion.

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All of the Thursday newspapers report on the approval Wednesday by the cabinet of a bill on weapons, ammunition, explosive devices and pyrotechnic articles control. Under the bill, control is introduced for the first time over non-firearm weapons (gas, signal and air guns) and non-firearm ammunition. Anyone possessing such items will have to declare them in the Interior Ministry. Failure to comply with this requirement carries a fine of 2000 leva and/or pecuniary penalty of 10,000 leva.

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Interviewed by "Monitor" social analyst Antonii Gulubov says that a party's political system undergoes deep transformation which does not end with the outcome of general elections. He says that a substantial portion of the political parties in Bulgaria have lost voters' trust. The whole responsibility and attention is now focused on GERB. According to Gulubov no other but GERB is the most serious warrant for the stability in Bulgaria, for accelerating reforms. GERB lifted the umbrella above organized crime, Gulubov says.

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In an interview to "Troud" Blagoevgrad, Southern Bulgaria, Mayor and Member of the National Council of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) Kostadin Paskalev says that at the moment BSP is not "the motor" of a new left project. He argues that the majority of people at the moment espouse leftist ideas. Paskalev says that since there are carriers of the idea, it is apparent that there should have a structure to reflect these ideas. He says further that it is only natural and normal for people mostly involved in intellectual labor to take up the implementation of such a project, i.e. the creation of an entity espousing such ideas. BSP should be the driving force of such a creation, he says. However, whether BSP is capable of realizing this is another matter altogether, says Paskalev.

ECONOMY

Political analyst Ivan Krustev argues in "24 Chassa" that the middle class and the business in Bulgaria are in for a hard year. Krustev notes that in social terms, this is the first crisis to have hit not only the middle class of old, the one which made its fortunes in socialist times, but also the new one which emerged after the democratic reforms. Exactly people in their 40s and 50s who had somehow succeeded in finding their place in the new economic reality all of a sudden found them selves at the losing end, says Krustev. What is more, businesses which were among the best integrated in the new environment, had access to loans and worked using Western business practices too found themselves at a loss. According to Krustev, the wave of lay-offs and unemployment has not spared Bulgaria but is about to hit it. The social consequences of the economic downturn are to be strongest felt in 2010, says Krustev.

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Economic analyst Georgi Angelov recommends in "Novinar" reduction of social security contributions. He says that the first signs of the end of the recession here, mostly in exports, have emerged. However, when and how quickly the economy will recover depends most of all on the cabinet policies, Angelov argues. If the government maintains financial stability and focuses on reforms which enhance the potential of the economy, the recovery will be there sooner and will be stronger.

Among the achievements he wants to see realized in 2010 the Angelov singles out improving the business climate, modernization of the institutions, reduction of social security contributions and privatization.

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Interviewed by "Troud" Executive Director of the Sofia Commodity Exchange Vassil Simov says that the main sign to prove that the world is emerging out of the crisis will be sharp fluctuations in prices. Rapid appreciation of certain goods and steep deprecation of others will mean that free financial resources have come on the market and that the players have the power to buy and sell huge quantities of goods, says Simov. Regretfully, Bulgaria is far from such an occurrence. The economic situation in the country is difficult, the business has to cope with huge obstacles in order to work normally. "Money is scarce - in construction, industry and trade," says Simov.

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"Cabinet Surrenders about Bonuses to Magistrates" caps a report in "Sega" which says that after two weeks of an outright war and dramatic negotiations between the judiciary and the cabinet on Wednesday it emerged that after all magistrates will get the 2009 Christmas bonuses the Supreme Judicial Council had voted at the end of the year. The outcome was unexpected as on the morning Finance Minister Simeon Djankov had notified in writing the Supreme Judicial Council that there was not a legal basis allowing him to sanction the payment of the already voted Christmas bonuses. An opposite decision was however reached later in the day following a series of long meetings involving Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, Prosecutor General Boris Velchev and the ministers of justice, of the interior and of finance. The Council of Ministers is expected next week to vote a decision guaranteeing the judiciary's financial independence, Justice Minister Margarita Popova said after the meeting.

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"European Prices in Healthcare" caps a leading report in "Zemya" which quotes Health Minister Bozhidar Nanev as saying that the prices of medical services in Bulgaria will reach European levels. What this means is that the state will continue to cover the respective amounts laid down in the clinical paths bit the difference for the more expensive services included in such clinical paths will be paid by patients. Nanev is quoted as saying that the established global and European standards in medicine should start to be applied in Bulgaria as well which will ensure an even higher quality of healthcare services in this country.





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 7, 2010

· Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov has warned Bozhidar Dimitrov, the minister for Bulgarians abroad, that a repeat of the behavior that saw Dimitrov spark tensions by publicly threatening that Sofia would veto Turkey's EU accession efforts would cost him his Cabinet job.

· 380 000 Bulgarians may lose their rights to free healthcare after changes in the insurance laws. According to the new laws people who have not paid their health insurance contributions for a total of three months over the last three years will lose their rights to free health care. Health insurance payments have jumped almost 50% per month from the start of 2010.