Oily PR Stunt

Novinite Insider » EDITORIAL | Author: Milena Hristova |August 10, 2011, Wednesday // 17:06
Bulgaria: Oily PR Stunt

We all knew it was a PR-stunt and cheap window dressing.

Still media and analysts praised the state for cracking down, protecting the national interests, the sovereignty of the rule of law, the principle of a competitive environment. The Bulgarian citizens in their turn gave a badly needed boost to the approval ratings of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.

But on Wednesday, after Bulgaria's top court ruled that Lukoil's Bulgarian refinery can continue operating until a final decision is taken on the tax dispute with the customs office, we, Bulgarians, suddenly came to the point of thanking things are as they are since the Russians still can't do us a lot of harm.

Why?

Because Belene, South Stream and Burgas-Alexandroupolis are not facts, they are still only part of the news wires.

Belene, South Stream and Burgas-Alexandroupolis have been highlights in the news wires over the last five years. Business news behind which stood political decisions, business projects behind which stood the future of ... Bulgaria's foreign policy.

At the beginning, the socialist party proponents, headed by President Georgi Parvanov, were very eloquent in their arguments for tying Bulgaria so closely with Russia. They said Bulgaria promoted successfully its national interests in the deals with Russia, which will lure investors, open jobs and enhance security,

"The Trojan horse phrase makes no sense, I can even say this is a nihilistic statement," President Georgi Parvanov told the hundreds of journalists gathered at the National Palace of Culture as he reported on the first year since his re-election at the end of January 2008.

Wrong, President Parvanov!

To be independent and not nihilistic means to have a variety of choices. And this is exactly what Bulgaria, on the eve of its accession to the European Union, gave up by tying itself to Russian partners not in one, but three major energy projects.

No doubt, the timing was right. With the European Union still building its common energy policy, Russia offering lucrative offers and politicians giving solid and logical arguments, Bulgaria was more than tempted.

The temptation however doomed Bulgaria to energy slavery par excellence.

But thank God, the country has not completely given in – yet. If it had given in, it would have fallen completely in Russia' s trap (especially having in mind the Lukoil show).

It is still to be seen when (or hopefully whether) this fall will happen.

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Tags: analysts, media, Parvanov, Georgi, president, Russian, Russia, VAS, Supreme Administrative Court, Customs Agency, Vanyo Tanov, Customs Agency head, refinery, Lukoil Neftochim, Lukoil, Traicho Traikov, Commission on Protection of Competition, cartel probe, jet fuel, Bulgaria, Bulgarian, Bulgarians, Belene, South stream, Burgas-Alexandroupolis, Prime Minister, Boyko, Borisov

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