Russian Disinformation Hinders Bulgaria's Euro Adoption Plans, Politico Reports
According to an article in "Politico," Russian-funded disinformation campaigns are contributing to a decline in public support for Bulgaria's adoption of the euro
Bulgaria "looks set to veer sharply back into Moscow's strategic orbit after Socialist candidate Rumen Radev won the presidency in a landslide on Sunday," Politico writes in a report on the country's presidential election.
The text argues the political crisis triggered by Radev's victory - with center-right Prime Minister Boyko Borisov stepping down - "will be closely monitored by the rest of the EU and NATO."
It cites Radev's call for an end to sanctions "immediately after his victory," wasting "no time in leaping to the defense of Kremlin". (Radev said he would work toward the lifting of sanctions as an answer to a journalist question during his post-election press conference.)
Russia’s influence in Bulgaria, the poorest EU member state, "is unusually strong, due in part to a complex web of commercial ties in the military, financial and energy sectors," according to Politico.
Borisov's GERB party "had become an obvious target for public frustration over corruption."
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Brazen Bulgarian gangs "terrorise the elderly and rob them over their life savings with increasingly aggressive phone scams nettling millions of euros," according to an AFP story.
The prospect of US President Donald Trump's moving closer to Russia has scrambled the strategy of "balancing East and West" used for decades by countries like Bulgaria, the New York Times says.
Bulgarians have benefited a lot from their EU membership, with incomes rising and Brussels overseeing politicians, according to a New York Times piece.
German businesses prefer to trade with Bulgaria rather than invest into the country, an article on DW Bulgaria's website argues.
The truth about Bulgaria and Moldova's presidential elections is "more complicated" and should not be reduced to pro-Russian candidates winning, the Economist says.
President-elect Rumen Radev "struck a chord with voters by attacking the status quo and stressing issues like national security and migration," AFP agency writes after the presidential vote on Sunday.
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