Bulgarian press review, February 10, 2010

Press Review
Sofia, February 10 (BTA)




HOME SCENE

Interviewed by "Dnevnik", Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov says that an operation codenamed "Octopus" is being launched, which is expected to show the real picture of the State. It will also show what happened during the transition period while the octopus was growing stronger and its tentacles reached into all echelons of the executive, the legislature and of every branch which exercises control. This is influence peddling, the problem which exists in reality. The lack of a political will in the last 20 years has led to the assessments in the European Commission reports, which are also the views of the Bulgarian public, Tsvetanov says.

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"Troud" reports that Boyko Borissov will gain one MP at the expense of Ahmed Dogan's Movement for Rights and Freedoms parliamentary group. The calculation was made by election expert Mihail Kostantinov ahead of a Constitutional Court ruling on an application that challenged voting in Turkey during the Bulgarian parliamentary election last summer. Two more groups will see changes. Ventsislav Vurbanov will return to the Blue Coalition, and Atanas Semov, close to Yane Yanev of the former Order, Lawfulness, Justice group, will be replaced by an MP from Gabrovo. The Court put off its decision until next Tuesday.

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"Standart News" writes that Bulgaria will become a centre of the secret services in the Balkans. This was announced by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov on his return from a two-day working visit to London. He explained that several very powerful centres of the secret services can be set up in Bulgaria to fight organized crime and drug trafficking in the country and the Balkans. Negotiations to this effect have begun with the leaders of the largest crime-fighting units in Britain.

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"Troud" says that the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) called on all Bulgarians who swapped private land for state-owned land to cancel the deals because the European Commission is threatening to impose sanctions of the order of millions of euros. Leader Martin Dimitrov said these swaps constitute state aid, as suspected by the EC. If the swaps are not declared invalid on a voluntary basis, the government should start cancelling them, the UDF also said, asking GERB not to explain to the EC that the swaps constitute an offence and not state aid.

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Stoyan Koushlev says in "Standart News" that his commission on criminal assets has started legal action for assets worth 150 million leva. Twenty-one proceedings were instituted in January, compared with 12 or 13 a month as a rule. Fourteen decisions were made in favour of attachment to the amount of 24 million leva. In January alone, seven cases for confiscation of property were instituted. A crisis always breeds crime, he concludes.

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In "Troud" Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova says that it costs about 500,000 leva to properly clear the snow in major boulevards and streets used by public transport. The latest snow cost the capital about the same as the construction of two kindergartens - one million leva. Fandakova also says that Sofia should implement a number of construction projects in 2010 and 2011, which will cause some inconveniences to residents. Thirty projects are in progress now and their number will increase.

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In "24 Chassa" Sergei Stanishev comments on a statement by left-wing municipal councillor Georgi Kadiev that he will compete for the leadership of the Bulgarian Socialist Party. Stanishev says he is unperturbed by this bid, adding that Kadiev can try for the leadership at the congress in the autumn.

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In an opinion piece on the parties in office and in opposition, "Sega" comments that if GERB fails, it may not survive in opposition. If this "laboratory experiment" (a reference to GERB) fails, Democrats for Strong Bulgaria, the UDF and Ataka will go under, too. Although much weaker, the Socialist Party will survive, and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms may see its dream of running the country on its own come true.

THE ECONOMY

"Pari" has interviewed economists, financiers and politicians, who concur that a balanced budget is a good thing, but it should not be achieved at the expense of companies. Economists Georgi Ganev and Georgi Angelov believe that a balanced budget is fully feasible this year due to the improved economic outlook. However, former deputy finance minister Krassimir Katev says it is not right to stifle businesses just for the sake of a balanced budget and of joining the eurozone. He warns that unless the government pays its obligations to companies, a wave of corporate failures may occur.

"24 Chassa" reports that all costs of the three electricity distribution companies will be carefully analysed and reduced so as not to have a rise in electricity prices from July 1. The distribution companies have also been advised to cut spending if possible. The daily quotes Angel Semerdjiev, chairman of the state energy and water regulator.

"24 Chassa" reports that tendering for Lot 3 of the Trakia Motorway will be launched by February 15 at the latest. The procedure for Lot 4 will most likely be advanced, and the two procedures will run almost parallel. Regional Development Minister Rosen Plevneliev is quoted as saying that Trakia may prove to be the lowest-budget motorway in Europe. Bulgarian consortium Motorway Thrace made an offer for less than 2.2 million euro per kilometre for Lot 2 last Friday, while the government has planned a budget of 3 million euro/km.

BULGARIA, EU

"Troud" reports that the European Parliament approved the Barroso 2 Commission on Tuesday, and Kristalina Georgieva took over from Meglena Kuneva in front of Bulgaria's 17 MEPs. Kuneva described Georgieva as a very good professional, whose experience at the World Bank will be useful in the new European Commission. In turn, Georgieva said that Kuneva's performance made an excellent impression in Europe, which will help the new Bulgarian commissioner.

"Sega" says on its front page that Brussels finally released 1,300 million euro for Bulgaria, giving it access to EU money for the first two of seven operational programmes after a positive compliance assessment from the European Commission. Before that Stanishev's government had two negative assessments. Bulgaria will have access to 1,300 million euro under Operational Programme Regional Development, and to 48.2 million euro under OP Technical Assistance. Thus Bulgaria was given access to 1,400 million euro, one fifth of the EU money available until 2013. "When the facts and Brussels speak, everyone should remain silent," Borissov said on Tuesday. However, he and the ministers said the problem with the absorption of EU money lies in the lack of projects. "The entire economic team will work towards more and better quality projects," Borissov said.



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 – February 10, 2010

Special joint operation of the Ministry of Interior and State Agency National Security (SANS) called Octopus is underway, press centre of the Ministry of Interior announced. Twelve people have been detained so far within the course of Octopus operation that is carrying out in the capital. The operation has been launched last night under the direction of the Prosecutor’s Office.

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“Five striptease bars and 13 night clubs have been inspected during the special police operation in Sofia tonight,” Minister of Interior Tsvetan Tsvetanov said for Focus News Agency.

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Regarding the announced 24-hour strike in Greece today traffic of sleeping cars between Sofia and Athens has been canceled, included in the train composition of two international fast trains between Bulgaria and Greece.

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Minutes after the “Barroso II” Commission received the approval of the European Parliament, the new Bulgarian European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Kristalina Georgieva convinced her colleagues to grant more financial aid to Haiti that is currently recovering from the devastating earthquake that struck the country on January 12, the Standart daily reported, quoting Nova TV.