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.
Pulling Over Corruption
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Photo by Kameliya Atanasova (Sofia Photo Agency)
By Petya Sabinova
Bulgarians have been listening to this and that EU official lecture them on the need to tackle corruption for years and they've all nodded thoughtfully and vowed to put a stop to the dirty practices. Politicians have introduced a number of laws aiming to cut the very possibilities for corruption among state officials, but somehow they manage to misfire now and then and leave a nice loophole.
All traffic tickets of BGN 50 will be paid directly to the patrolling officer that pulled the driver over, a new change in the traffic law states. If the payment is done right away, then no points will be taken away from the driver's license. That brilliant new piece of legislation would certainly put a stop to small-time corruption, because it has set a natural minimum limit to bribes. Before one could get away from a ticket by slipping BGN 10 or 20 to the cop, but now 50's the minimum.
I find it hard to grasp why Bulgaria's lawmakers would put cash in the hands of the most corrupt group of state employees (as recent counts of the anti-corruption hotline tips showed.) Moreover, this is just one more way to benefit the wealthier class of society who feel invincible on the road as it is. Those who can afford to keep an emergency 50 in the car can add a dash of extra risk to their driving, after all, they just need to slip the cash (now legally) and all is fine. No points taken away, no real record of the violation, just "see you, officer, and have a nice day." Not to mention how long it will take smarter criminals to figure out that a BGN 50 bill is bound to be stashed away in the car somewhere... Way to go lawmakers, another one for the books!
Bulgarians have been listening to this and that EU official lecture them on the need to tackle corruption for years and they've all nodded thoughtfully and vowed to put a stop to the dirty practices. Politicians have introduced a number of laws aiming to cut the very possibilities for corruption among state officials, but somehow they manage to misfire now and then and leave a nice loophole.
All traffic tickets of BGN 50 will be paid directly to the patrolling officer that pulled the driver over, a new change in the traffic law states. If the payment is done right away, then no points will be taken away from the driver's license. That brilliant new piece of legislation would certainly put a stop to small-time corruption, because it has set a natural minimum limit to bribes. Before one could get away from a ticket by slipping BGN 10 or 20 to the cop, but now 50's the minimum.
I find it hard to grasp why Bulgaria's lawmakers would put cash in the hands of the most corrupt group of state employees (as recent counts of the anti-corruption hotline tips showed.) Moreover, this is just one more way to benefit the wealthier class of society who feel invincible on the road as it is. Those who can afford to keep an emergency 50 in the car can add a dash of extra risk to their driving, after all, they just need to slip the cash (now legally) and all is fine. No points taken away, no real record of the violation, just "see you, officer, and have a nice day." Not to mention how long it will take smarter criminals to figure out that a BGN 50 bill is bound to be stashed away in the car somewhere... Way to go lawmakers, another one for the books!
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