How many Times were Diplomatic Relations between Russia and Bulgaria Severed
If we look at history, there are not many cases in which relations between Bulgaria and Russia at the state level were as bad as they are at the moment.
Deja Vu with a Twist
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Anyone who hasn't got sick and tired of EU calls on Bulgaria to press ahead with corruption and crime combat? I doubt it.
Could I have referred you back to the dozens of editorials we have published on Bulgaria's failure to combat organized crime and corruption and Brussels's efforts to create finger-wagging anxiety?
No, because this time it's the judiciary, not the government, which failed, according to Brussels.
This week has been a story of two cities. In Brussels the European Commission released its all too critical annual monitoring report on Bulgaria, while in Sofia rulers and opposition had to explain the blasts in front of anti-government parties' offices. None of these events however were a real game-changer, nor will they be. They are just a d?j?-vu. But with a twist.
Brussels's love for Bulgaria may be tough but the Balkan country is brazen enough to keep key criminals out of jail more than four years after its accession to the united block. Years, during which Brussels has repeatedly emphasized that arrests are no longer sufficient and that convictions are needed.
We heard this again on Wednesday. But the twist now is that the government is the good cop, while the judiciary is the bad cop. At least this is what Prime Minister Boyko Borisov is trying to make us believe.
The government likes to say it has worked wonders to satisfy the nit-picking requirements of the European Union. And if we are to believe Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, the country is so stable and orderly that it is almost boring, and its finances in such a good shape that it could make all of Europe blush. And if we are to believe Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov, the house has not been put in order only because of the judiciary.
Well, I am rather more inclined to believe with the European Commission spokesman Mark Gray. This is a ludicrously simplified, black and white interpretation of what is happening.
Suffice it to recall the long-awaited draft law to fight crime, which stipuated that unexplained wealth worth more than 75,000 euros should be liable for confiscation without a conviction. However, 47 members of the governing party Gerb stopped the law being passed by not turning up for the vote. Should we feel guilty for thinking the party is simply corrupt? Isn't this the end of the the myth that Gerb came to power to stamp out corruption, and clamp down on the oligarchs?
What about the meddling of the Interior Minister in the appointment of high-ranking figures in the justice system?
When the cabinet came into office, it was the first time in the last eight years that Bulgaria started being ruled by a minority government. No officially sealed majority in parliament, no coalition to guarantee that the unpopular bills will all be passed without a hitch.
We thought the game had new rules. Corruption combat was the most fundamental and popular issues the government faced together with the economy. And this is where the most drastic medicine for Bulgaria was needed.
We knew that often reforms can be unpopular when they are first brought in. But in the long run they are essential for growth and prosperity. For their adoption in parliament, Borisov could have relied on the so-called sleeping partners, a business term that he seeks to apply in politics.
Well, these days Bulgarians do not sound as hopeful as they did two years ago. Borisov and his closest aide Tsvetanov are no longer enjoying a honeymoon. The slump in popular enthusiasm for the government, bringing in a group of Western-educated economists and d?butantes, sharpens parallels with the party of former king and prime minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg, which went all the way from everybody's favourite in 2001 to a total loser in 2009 in terms of voters' sentiments.
The Prime Minister, as usual, flaunted his gift of gab on Wednesday and expressed himself best in words. He saw in the EC report a big "Congratulations" card for him by Brussels. But I want to see more. I want at least one criminal put in jail. That would be a game-changer.
P.S: As for the expected lifting of the despised monitoring mechanism, we should thank Croatia, not the government for that. Unfortunately I hear Bulgaria may be heading for a big political humiliation as it is likely to see only neighboring Romania getting rid of it.
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