Bulgaria's Stanishev wants balanced EC report

10/06/2008

Bulgaria's prime minister warns that a negative EC assessment and sanctions could discourage reform and sow political instability.

(FT, Dnevnik, Mediapool, Europe.bg - 10/06/08; SNA, Dnevnik, Mediapool, Europe.bg, Bulgarian Government - 09/06/08; BBC - 07/06/08; Mediapool - 04/06/08; The Times - 23/05/08)

"The cabinet's task is to achieve everything that must be achieved. However, there will be future reports," Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergi Stanishev said. [Getty Images]

Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev voiced hope Monday (June 9th) that an upcoming European Commission (EC) monitoring report on his country will point not only to shortcomings but to achievements as well.

The paper, expected on July 16th, will be the second one this year. In an interim report in February, Brussels criticised Bulgaria for its unconvincing results on judicial reform and the fight against organised crime and corruption.

While pledging to take action, the Balkan nation has been slow to implement the required measures. It did, however, establish a State National Security Agency to help deal with organised crime. Another step was the appointment in April of Sofia's former ambassador to Germany, Meglena Plugchieva, as deputy prime minister tasked with overseeing the use of EU funds.

She joined the cabinet as part of a major government overhaul in which the health, agriculture and defence ministers, as well as Interior Minister Rumen Petkov, were replaced. The move followed a scandal linking Petkov, a senior member of Stanishev's Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), and several other ministry officials to organised crime suspects.

Regional Development and Public Works Minister Asen Gagauzov was spared, although it became clear earlier this year that the head of the road agency had awarded contracts worth an estimated 50m euros to his brother.

Suspicions about possible fraud in the use of EU funds prompted the EC to freeze about 400m euros in aid to Bulgaria. Brussels also has given Bulgaria until June 16th to make 25 improvements in the way it handles EU taxpayers' money.

A negative EC report could potentially lead to further sanctions, including non-recognition of Bulgarian court decisions by the other EU member nations.

In an interview with the British daily Financial Times (FT), published on Tuesday (June 10th), Stanishev said penalising his country could "harm the reform process" and sow political instability. Opposition parties have threatened to push for the BSP-led coalition government's ouster and early parliamentary elections if next month's report triggers sanctions.

"It takes time to impose these new European standards," Stanishev said. "If you compare Bulgaria to Sweden, the Netherlands or Britain, you will see many problems still ... but [those countries] have had hundreds of years of democracy."

"We have 20 years behind us, and, in that period of time, what we have achieved is a revolution," he added.