site.btaMedia Review: May 31

Media Review: May 31
Media Review: May 31
Bulgarian newspapers (BTA Photo)

HOME AFFAIRS

All media carry stories on the possibility for Bulgaria to have a government after President Rumen Radev handed the second government-forming mandate to the Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) coalition and the release of a recording made at a May 21 online meeting of Continue the Change and released by MP Radostin Vassilev.

In an editorial overview, 24 Chasa quotes Mariya Gabriel of GERB as saying that the government-forming negotiations with Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) are not in an ice age; however, there are no sun rays to melt the ice, referring to a previous statement she made that GERB-UDF is freezing negotiations. Gabriel added that for an ace age to be avoided and the negotiations to continue, CC-DB have to reconsider the government's format and members as well as "the principles and trust". Former finance minister Assen Vassilev could turn out to be a key factor for whether there will be a government supported by CC-DB and GERB-UDF. His presence as a minister in a future cabinet is one of the main dividing lines between the two formations, it became clear from statements of their representatives on Tuesday. The issue will be discussed tomorrow (i.e. today).

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"CC-DB expected to resume government talks today" is the title of upcoming news for Wednesday in 24 Chasa. "Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria" said that they will start meetings with political formations again, the first invitation is for GERB-UDF and Mariya Gabriel. Boyko Borissov's party said it wanted the talks to continue, but set new conditions - a change in the form and composition of the proposed cabinet. The CC candidate for prime minister, Nikolay Denkov, indicated that they are ready to compromise, but first they need to discuss the exact demands. The other formations in the National Assembly remain skeptical about a second term and have already talked about a third file and new elections.

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24 Chasa carries an editorial on the proposal of Sofia City Prosecution Office (SCPO) prosecutor Stefan Hristov to Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev to approach Parliament to lift the immunity from prosecution of former prime minister and MP of the 49th National Assembly Boyko Borissov. Geshev, however, is on leave. The proposal is promoted by pretrial proceedings popularly known as Barcelonagate, in which evidence incriminating the MP of money laundering has been collected. The former prime minister provided the proceeds from crime to third parties for the purchase and renting of immovable properties abroad, the daily quotes the prosecution as saying. On May 25, the GERB leader was questioned at the SCPO in the Barcelonagate case and about abuse-of-power allegations against him.  The proposal came just a day after Sofia City Prosecution Office resumed the investigation of the so-called "Gold Bars" case. The “Gold Bars” case was initiated in mid-2020 after a set of photos  were anonymously released to the media. They showed GERB leader and ex-prime minister Boyko Borissov asleep in his bedroom at the governmental Boyana Residence with a gun on his nightstand and a drawer full of bundles of EUR 500 banknotes and gold bars. The decree for its closure is dated May 10, but the news about that broke on Saturday, May 27. Both Geshev and his deputy, Borislav Sarafov, who was then acting Prosecutor General, denied any knowledge of these development. Meanwhile, the case was sent to the Supreme Prosecution Office, which, in turn, referred it to the Appellate Prosecution to check the act.

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In 2005 there was grumbling that the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) took the mandate, but the "Tsar" (Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha), Dogan and Stanishev together were a sign that there would be no feints and rotations" former president Georgi Parvanov tells 24 Chasa in an exclusive interview, commenting on the current satiation in Bulgarian politics. The CC need a big enemy to consolidate their scattered formation. The president would play such a role and they will look for GERB on this bridge, says the president (2002-2012). Their thesis that the formation of the cabinet is a battle for Bulgaria's European future is ridiculous - we achieved it with the king and the BSP, they cannot draw a dividing line with chalk now. And I had in my pocket a project for a caretaker cabinet, but I did not block the talks for a regular one, but assisted in such, Parvanov says. Radev's position is not unprecedented - no one wants to remember that in 1997 (former president) Peter Stoyanov's behaviour towards us was even more aggressive. Then it was fine in the eyes of all those who today talk about how unacceptable Radev's statements, assessments and recommendations are. But he played it constitutionally by handing them the mandate.

***

24 Chasa also carries a piece on a protest in front of the Presidency against President Radev and the caretaker government. CC-DB co-chair Kiril Petkov joined the protest at one point and said they believed in real justice, referring to the request for lifting Borissov's immunity, adding that justice should not be used as a battering ram. Earlier, protesters called on his party to do everything possible to have a regular cabinet to stop the caretaker government. If they are counting on a third term, then you are surrendering to the MRF, some speakers argued. And they wanted to remove the institution of caretaker cabinet to protect parliamentarism. 

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Dnevnik quotes CC-DB Co-Chairman Atanas Atanassov as expressing surprise before bTV that the prosecution took up arms precisely at this moment and requested withdrawal of the immunity of Boyko Borissov. According to him, this is a targeted attack against the former prime minister, and the aim is to thwart the negotiations to form a second-term cabinet.

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Trud features an interview with the Chairman of The Left! Coalition Council Kostadin Paskalev, according to whom forming a cabinet in the 49th National Assembly will already be perverse In this situation we have the necessity to hold elections immediately after a decision on the state budget. After all that has happened, forming a cabinet in this parliament will be extremely perverse from a moral and political point of view. The Left! is organising a protest against the gross violation of statehood and unprecedented political cynicism this coming Friday in front of the National Assembly.

***

"Looking for Bulgaria's Kissinger" is the title of a piece by Assoc. Prof. Natalia Kisselova who reminisces the moves of the prominent politician brought to mind by his recent birthday with the current state of affairs in Bulgaria. This anniversary inevitably draws comparison with the Bulgarian political landscape, which has enriched itself in revealing its mediocrity. Politicians, to be absolutely sure of their rightness, either know everything or nothing. (It's more likely the latter!) "Around 90% of politicians spoil the reputation of the rest." "The responsible approach of a statesman, however, is to solve complex situations, not to look at them from the side." The power for which Continue Change is fighting is devoid of legitimacy as it will provoke a test of their willpower. The legitimacy that GERB-UDF received as the first largest parliamentary group is currently devoid of (executive) power and will provoke empty boasting. Therefore, in the months to come, few will "be able to boast of a large degree of influence on the course of history". Unfortunately, Bulgaria's domestic politics has swamped the conversation about national interests beyond the "Ukraine-Russia" poles. The formulation of foreign policy objectives is reduced to compliance with the "embassy"/"embassies" and our diplomatic service would do well to remind itself that "diplomacy is the art of mastering the forces" in the name of Bulgaria's national interest.

***

CC-DB and GERB-UDF are resuming negotiations Wednesday, Prime Minister-designate Nikolay Denkov confirmed before Bulgarian National Radio (BNR). He also confirmed that there is a "thawing" in relations and he expects to see Mariya Gabriel later in the day to "specify the important measures" so that they could continue. Then an official meeting will follow. The state has to be governed, Denkov said, and that by the MPs who have a majority. What we are witnessing now is an attempt to censure the voters' decision, Denkov said. The CC-DB would not agree to a future cabinet without former finance minister Assen Vassilev, he added.

All national televisions featured live reports on the same. Boyko Borissov's party said it wanted the talks to continue, but set new conditions - a change in the form and composition of the proposed cabinet. The CC candidate for prime minister, Nikolay Denkov, signaled that they are ready to compromise, but first they need to discuss the precise demands. Other formations in the National Assembly remain skeptical about a second term and have already talked about a third mandate and new elections, NOVA TV reported.

***

The absurd situation will unite the parties to form a government, political analyst Tsvetanka Andreeva told BNR. In her opinion, it is good for the two coalitions (CC-DB and GERB-UDF) to expand parliamentary support. In her opinion, the scandal surrounding the CC will make them much more flexible, not so much in their desire to protect themselves personally, but to secure their existence as a political party. They, along with GERB, are the backbone that can build a regular government, she believes. They must give guarantees to GERB that they will not fulfill their power-holding intentions, expressed in the recording, and that they will not play a double game. According to her, these are processes that are already in the control of the politicians from both coalitions. According to Andreeva, the President has turned from a head of State with representative functions into the head of the executive power for a very long period. The immunity of Borrissov should not be withdrawn, for what we are observing now is war between institutions rather than justice.

***

Discontent after leaked recordings: protesters boo CC-DB and GERB, bTV reported in its morning show Wednesday. Those gathered in front of the National Assembly do not want a coalition between the former and the latter. A group of protesters have gathered in front of the National Assembly and are booing the arriving CC-DB and GERB MPs. Those gathered want the CC-DB to return the second mandate immediately and no coalition with GERB. The protesters want more sovereignty and independence for the country. A few days ago, they were also in front of the presidency with the same demands. Representatives of various organisations are protesting in front of parliament demanding that the second mandate to form a government be returned unfulfilled, Bulgarian National Television also said. The event was announced on social media as a "protest for sovereignty and legality in Bulgaria".

Meanwhile, Parliament gathered a quorum for the start of the plenary day Wednesday but it began with a ten-minute pause following tension between Vazrazhdane and CC-DB, NOVA TV reported. Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov called on the second political force in Parliament to return the mandate from the parliamentary rostrum. According to him, any political force that places its activity in the service of a foreign country should be banned. MP Miroslav Ivanov of CC-DB reiterated with an appeal to Parliament Chair Rossen Zhelyazkov to stop all attempts at "fascist propaganda on the part of Vazrazhdane".

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Bulgaria should accede to Schengen is the position of Germany confirmed yet again by German Ambassador here, Irene Plank, before bTV. Federal Chancellor Scholz clearly stated this position in a speech in Prague last August and it has remained unchanged since then. Bulgaria has to accede to the Schengen area, as has Romania. Other EU countries are still sceptic, true, but it is very important in this respect for Bulgaria to successfully make the reforms it has set itself as a goal, particularly the reform of the judicial system. The first good step was already taken last week, when legislative agreement was reached on the obligation of accountability of the prosecutor general, the German Ambassador told bTV. 

ECONOMY

"Any financial support from the state for the construction and reconstruction of existing municipal infrastructure is extremely important for Bulgarian municipalities. A decree of the Council of Ministers of September 22 approved financial support for nearly 206 municipalities worth BGN 406 million. Most Bulgarian municipalities have started the implementation of these projects and many of them are already at the stage of completion," BSP for Bulgaria MP said in a question to Finance Minister Rositsa Velkova during Question Time in Parliament Tuesday, as quoted by Duma. He specified that in the agreement signed by the regional ministry, the respective municipalities have received 50% of the required funds. "There are no commitments in them regarding the second part of their funding. Ahead of the 2023 local elections - the people of these municipalities are very anxious and worried about the fate of the projects started as their non-completion is causing a lot of inconvenience to the people," he added.

***

Wholesale prices are falling, but trade and services are waiting to pick up, 24 Chasa reports in an editorial. Cheaper fuel, electricity and gas drag down value of some manufacturers. Producer prices in Bulgaria, though not everything, continued to fall in April. Still, executives, especially in trade and services, expect selling prices to continue rising over the next three months, according to NSI data released on Tuesday. The downward trend in producer prices started a few months ago and it is mostly due to cheaper energy. Producer prices of everything made from wood - furniture, firewood, timber for construction - are also rising significantly. Against the backdrop of these divergent price movements, managers in trade and services forecast the rise in final sales to continue over the next three months, according to the National Statistical Institute. In industry and construction, prices are more likely to remain at current levels. Meanwhile, in trade and services, sales forecasts are on the upside, linked to the upcoming summer season. Overall, the business climate indicator rose in May by 4 percentage points compared with a month earlier.

 

/BR/

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By 11:21 on 29.03.2024 Today`s news

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