Bulgarian press review, December 3, 2009

Press Review
Sofia, December 3 (BTA)

THE HOME SCENE

"Loans and privatization will plug the hole in the 2010 budget," "Sega" writes on its front page. "For the first time in ten years, Parliament is adopting a budget with a deficit planned in it," the daily notes. The 1,500 million leva shortfall will be offset through domestic and external loans (671 million leva and 641 million leva, respectively) and privatization (201 million leva). "Ataka" notes in its top story that the 2010 budget plans 70 million leva extra revenues. "Pari" has relegated the news to an inside page. "24 Chassa" and "Troud" focus on the prolonged second-reading debate of the National Budget Act.

The largest credit rating agency Standard & Poor's revised its outlook on Bulgaria to "BB-stable" from "BB-negative," "Klassa" reports in its top story. "This is indicative of the success of the Government and Parliament in coping with the fiscal problem of the State," Finance Minister Simeon Djankov commented upon the second reading of the budget, quoted by the paper. Djankov
specified that several more difficult months lie ahead for the Bulgarian economy, but the Government keeps working day in, day out. "In just four months we progressed from a period of large monthly deficits, such as nearly 600 million leva for July alone, to a balanced budget for October. You will see that the results for January will be even better," he promised.

In a front-page item, "Monitor" quotes Defence Minister Nickolay Mladenov as saying after a session with President Georgi Purvanov on Wednesday that 100 million of the Defence Ministry budget were withdrawn in advance and were squandered for pre-election purposes.

"The communication between Government and President in the sphere of military affairs sets a positive precedent, but the risks are still there: an unpopular reform in home affairs is forthcoming," political scientist Vassil Garnizov writes in "Troud." Under the heading "Truce or Peace between President and Prime Minister," he singles out as good news the fact that the two realize that at a time of crisis their political confrontation can inflict severe damage on both sides. The author advises them to stop counting on a last-minute ceasefire, to abandon the policy of faits accomplis, and to design a smoother running machinery for communication in making important decisions.

"Kostov Doing What Borissov Ought Not": under this heading, a signed comment in "Sega" notes that "the Prime Minister wants to please everybody, while his main opposition friend is not at all afraid to shed blood in gruesome battle." "The relations between Boyko Borissov and Ivan Kostov have always been complicated and intricate but subservient to order and good practices of warfare. They fell out when the General [Borissov] headed the Sofia garrison but lacked an army. They made it up when the Commander [Kostov] was left without an army. The two now accomplish responsible missions in driving the Red Army out, observing rigorous boot camp discipline," the paper writes.

Bulgaria's former ambassador to Spain, Russia and Argentina Vassilii Takev is Rumiana Jeleva's probable successor as chief Bulgarian diplomat, "24 Chassa" predicts. The list of possible foreign ministers, also known as "the Smart and Handsome List," was so far topped by Deputy Foreign Minister Marin Raykov, followed by Jeleva's other deputy Milen Lyutskanov, the daily says. Takev, who was also deputy foreign minister when the Ministry was headed by Nadezhda Mihailova, now works at the International Law Directorate of the Foreign Ministry.


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Some 98 million leva in bonuses were handed out to sham tobacco growers between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2007, "24 Chassa" reports. People who do not work as agricultural producers received money from the Tobacco Fund for sold tobacco and seeds. The daily says that the Sofia City Prosecution Office and the State Agency for National Security will form a joint team to investigate the violations. They reportedly are perusing 40 folders of documents, checking the names of bonus recipients against the register of tobacco growers.

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"The Higher Certifying Commission, or whatever we call it, must remain as a legitimating institution," the Commission's Chairman, Prof. Alexander Fedotov, says in a "Troud" interview. "Otherwise, it is now provided that the control commission should be limited to the technical aspects of the procedures. But such technical review can be done by anybody, I don't see why the Commission should include scientists, they should rather be legal experts," he comments. He insists that if the Commission is scrapped, there should be a transitional period before its final closure because hundreds of scientists are currently in an academic degree award procedure.

"The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences will not get away with a cosmetic reform," "Sega" predicts. The papers quote a poll conducted by the National Public Opinion Centre, which found that just 6 per cent of respondents categorically want the Academy to be closed down. One in five wants to see the Academy continue in its present form.

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"Douma", "Zemya" and "Troud" carry an article by Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) leader Sergei Stanishev entitled "For a Commissioner's Hide". According to the author, the principal mistakes made by Boyko Borissov in settling on the nomination is his insistence on the partisan approach and personal loyalty, as well as the lack of dialogue with the President of the European Commission. "Troud" runs an abridged version of the article.

"The BSP must shed the guilt syndrome," Coalition for Bulgaria MP Anton Koutev says in an interview for "Douma."

"I will take over the Left without Sergei [Stanishev] even knowing it," former Coalition for Bulgaria MP Tatyana Doncheva told a "Standart News" interviewer. "The Socialists are startled: they don't know of what they are scared," Doncheva comments.

ECONOMY

"It will be criminal if Bulgaria forfeits its participation in South Stream," Peter Kanev, adviser to the President on Black Sea Economic Cooperation, told "Troud." "In Moscow, I was given to understand that the Russian side had 'untied its hands' and can do without Bulgaria," says Kanev, back home from Russia where he attended a Plenary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation. "A project backed by the top European leaders, such as Berlusconi, Sarkozy and Merkel, is a secure project. All the more so that we have been approached by the Russian side with a new proposal: to transit over 60 billion cu m of gas annually across Bulgaria rather than 30 billion cu m-plus. This means that we will be earning several hundred million dollars a year from transit fees alone," Kanev comments. He says he would be glad if Nabucco and South Stream run parallel: then huge amounts of gas will be transited through Bulgaria and its geopolitical weight will increase.

In its top story, "Pari" writes that while the price of pulp is on the rise, Bulgaria's plants are closed. Svilosa works owner Krassimir Dachev has mortgaged all his personal properties to furnish security to creditors and obtain permission from the banks for the start of pulp production, "Troud" reports. The businessman, who until recently was Vice President of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, made waves in 2007 by his eccentric idea of a space flight on board the craft of Virgin Airlines owner Richard Branson.

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS

"In six months' time, motorists caught after drinking a glass of beer will have their driving privileges suspended," writes "Telegraf" on its front page. "A 500 leva fine and driving licence suspension will the penalty for every driver who drinks even a drop of alcohol before sitting behind the wheel," says "24 Chassa". The revisions of the Road Traffic Act, including zero tolerance of alcohol, will be introduced within six months, the Secretary of the State-cum-Public Commission on Traffic Safety Alexi Kessyakov told a seminar in Sandanski. The other contemplated amendment, inspired by US President Obama, is to fine drivers who write text messages and not just talk on their mobiles while driving. The measure against drunk driving was decided at a world meeting on road traffic safety in Moscow several weeks ago. According to the effective Bulgarian legislation, drivers found with blood alcohol content exceeding 0.05 per cent are liable to a fine of 200 to 500 leva and to a suspension of driving privileges for one month to two years.

Persons aged under 18 will be able to board a ship or a jetski only with their parents' express written consent, "Novinar" reports. Their guardians will have to sign a mandatory declaration that they do not mind their children riding the respective navigation vessel. These requirements are introduced by an ordinance regulating aquatic attraction services, adopted by the Council of Ministers. A strict regulation is introduced in order to avoid cases like the one that led to the death of 15 Bulgarians on Lake Ohrid in September, the paper notes.

"24 Chassa" has interviewed pop folk singer and TV host Azis, and "Telegraf" has talked to pop folk singer Emilia. Both interviews are occasioned by the crackdown of the National Revenue Agency on tax-evading entertainers.

The Spanish authorities are checking the origin of nearly 3 million euro which Kyril Saxe-Coburg spent on the purchase of a 125 ha property on the Island of Majorca, "El Mundo" and "Diario de Mallorca" report, quoted by "Troud" on its front page. "The son of Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha has thus become part of one of the most scandalous disclosures of civil servants' corruption in Spain. Kyril was reportedly linked to the affair by his wife Rosario. The couple recently announced their separation," the item says.

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 – December 3, 2009

· After 17 long hours with little debate and many procedural tricks, the 2010 Budget bill was adopted by MPs on the second and final reading at about 2.10am on December 3 2009. A large number of the draft bill's provisions were passed without the votes of the right-wing Order, Law and Justice (OLJ) party, whose MPs left Parliament floor after the majority rejected the party's motion for cutting the 2010 budget of the Presidency by one million leva. The leader of the conservative Order, Law and Justice (RZS) party, Yane Yanev, was even removed from the plenary hall for one parliamentary session. The decision of the Speaker, Tsetska Tsacheva, was based on a RZS declaration Yanev attempted to read from the parliamentary stand to protest against the refusal of Tsacheva's ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party to reduce the presidential institution's budget.
The largest party in opposition, the former ruling Bulgarian Socialist Party, also refused to debate most of the draft bill's provisions. The BSP and the other opposition party, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), wanted the revenue part of the Budget increased by 762 million leva and 500 million leva, respectively. However, the proposal was rejected by the ruling party GERB and the other right-wing parties supporting GERB.

· Bulgaria Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov speaking in an interview on bTV after the budget was adopted by parliament early Thursday, said that the next four months will be financially difficult for the country but after that he expects things to improve. He added that the new center-right GERB government’s anti-crisis program was obviously working, which will emerge most clearly in spring 2010.
Djankov also commented on Vasil Bozhkov, who is believed to be the richest Bulgarian (a businessman formerly widely involved in the gambling business) who recently slammed the GERB government over last Thursday’s gambling tax hike. “If the rich complain about what the government does, then the cabinet must be working well for the average Bulgarian. PM Boyko Borisov advised me never to meet with businessmen and bankers one on one and I do not do it. I did not know who the richest Bulgarian was" explained Diankov.