site.btaMedia Review: November 28

The stalemate in the vote for National Assembly chair and its meaning for the hopes for formation of new regular government dominate the media on Thursday.

POLITICS

24 Chasa features an extensive interview with Trend Research Centre co-founder Dimitar Ganev on the political landscape in the country. He defined [GERB leader] Boyko Borissov's nomination for prime minister as an initial negotiating position, given the fact that even before the elections began CC-DB, BSP - United Left and TISP had said they would not support him for the post. By withdrawing the nomination, GERB want to show that they are not to blame for the torpedoing of the negotiations, Ganev added. "Both formations [CC-DB and GERB-UDF] are aware that the chance of going to new elections is very high. And going to an eighth consecutive election would cause further discontent. Asked whether a cabinet should be formed with the necessary compromises, more than two-thirds of respondents said 'yes'," he stressed. "The contest between CC-DB and GERB is to avoid taking the blame for sending Bulgaria to an eighth consecutive elections," the political scientist noted. At the same time, both political parties do not want to give the impression that they are compromising too much with the other to avoid an erosion in their electoral support. "Because of the excessive compromises made by GERB in the assemblage [a term with a negative connotation used to describe the previous regular cabinet supported by GERB, CC-DB and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms], it received 140,000 fewer votes in the June elections. On the other hand, CC-DB's compromise with GERB and MRF cost them half the electorate. According to Ganev, the only possible configuration to form a government is GERB-UDF, CC-DB, BSP - United Left and TISP. The search for "cordon sanitaire" around Peevski is the legitimate basis with which CC-DB is trying to explain its entry into such a coalition to its electorate, he added. 

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In an interview with BNR, Yes, Bulgaria (Part of Democratic Bulgaria (DB) and the Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria coalitions) MP Antoaneta Tsoneva explained DB’s stance regarding the National Assembly chair election. She stressed that DB abstains from voting for There Is Such a People’s nominee Silvi Kirilov as it does not want to enter political majority that “might turn to be anti-European”. DB does not want to enter a majority with Vazrazhdane, she added. Tsoneva reminded that the coalition had proposed a solution, which to date, after the failed attempts, seems more and more obvious - all political forces to withdraw their nominations and the eldest MP to be supported by all, without creating a political majority behind him with an agenda that could prove dangerous for Bulgaria, she explained and gave the example of Romania.

24 Chasa covers Continue the Change (CC) Co-Chair Kiril Petkov’s statement before the beginning of Thursday’s National Assembly sitting. "I understand DB, they do not want to associate themselves with Vazrazhdane", he is quoted as saying. "The hysteria of [MRF - New Beginning leader] Delyan Peevski shows that the election of Silvi Kirilov is a decision in the right direction," he argued.

On bTV's morning show, MRF - New Beginning MP Stanislav Atanasov argued that CC-DB "debunked the carefully maintained myth that they are a pro-European party" by supporting Silvi Kirilov's candidacy for National Assembly chair. "We will not talk to them, as well as to all other pro-Russian parties," he added. "It was very clear yesterday that MRF - New Beginning and GERB are the only two pro-Atlantic parties," he added.

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On bTV's morning show, political scientists Prof. Rumyana Kolarova and Assoc. Prof. Petar Cholakov commented on the stalemate in the National Assembly and saw in it an opportunity for new elections. "What is happening in Parliament is a typical example of how the ongoing strategy of the CC cannot guarantee us either political independence or governance. What is happening is by no means a step towards forming a government. At the end of the previous National Assembly, Continue the Change tried to form a majority in order to change the Parliament Chair, to elect a caretaker minister and now they are trying to do the same," Kolarova said. "With this caretaker leadership, rumours of MRF - New Beginning's influence intensified during the election campaign. Keeping track of the National Assembly is torturous. Nothing happens there. The nominees are not important. Surely they will be able to put together some kind of government, but is it worth putting up with," Cholakov asked.

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On Nova Television's morning show, election expert Stoil Stoilov and Central Election Commission’s (CEC) Public Council Chair Iva Lazarova commented on the parliamentary crisis and the proposals for amendments to the electoral legislation. Lazarova said that in the last 10 years there have been more than 70 bills submitted to amend the texts of the Electoral Code. Stoilov argued that MPs should start receiving their salaries once they form a government. According to him, the CEC should be formed on the principle of the Constitutional Court and not with party nominations and quotas. He added that all officials who receive salaries from the budget should be required to serve the electoral process.

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Trud writes that GERB MPs submitted a request for interpretation to the Constitutional Court on whether the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), whose mandate has expired, can proceed with the election of a prosecutor general and of president of the Supreme Administrative Court. GERB-UDF MP Rosen Zhelyazkov was quoted as saying that his coalition asked the Court whether the (SJC) is permitted to fully exercise its constitutional powers after its mandate has expired; whether Parliament is permitted to limit these powers considering the expired mandate. He added that another request related to limiting the powers of MPs would be submitted on Friday.

On BNR, constitutional law professor Orlin Kolev discusses the political situation in the country. On the attempt to build a "cordon sanitaire" around MRF - New Beginning leader Delyan Peevski and GERB-UDF‘s request for interpretation the Constitutional Court (CC) regarding the issue, he stressed that in 2009 the CC had ruled on an identical case. Back then, MPs who were known to have been part of the Committee for State Security (the Bulgarian secret service under the communist People's Republic of Bulgaria) were restricted from holding leadership positions in parliament, Kolev explained. "The CC ruled categorically, declaring this provision unconstitutional." On the overall political landscape in the country, he added that there is no indication of a constitutional crisis yet, the problem is political. Kolev did not rule out the possibility that "at the end of March or the beginning of April we will face new parliamentary elections."

SECURITY

On Bulgarian National Television's (BNT) morning show, Border Police Director Chief Commissioner Anton Zlatanov said that attempts to illegally cross the Bulgarian-Turkish border have decreased nearly 4 times. He explained that while last summer there were sometimes 1,500 attempts to cross the border illegally in a day, this summer the highest number was 400 people and that occurred only once. According to him, the theory that Bulgaria will be admitted to Schengen by land thanks to Romania's greater efforts is groundless because the two countries are walking hand in hand in the admission process.

SHEEP PLAGUE

On BNT's morning show, chief veterinarian Iliyan Kostov said that the delay in culling the animals on the sheep plague-affected farm in Velingrad could lead to other flocks being infected, even though they are quarantined. He was adamant that the measures must be respected and urged farmers not to move sheep without sanitary control. "We are imposing humane euthanasia on these animals to stop the spread of the virus or they will continue to spread it."

bTV’s morning show featured an interview with the Director of Bulgarian Food Safety Agency’s Animal Health, Identification and Welfare Directorate, Boris Borisov, who said that repeat samples taken from sheep flocks in Velingrad Region. The results will confirm whether there is an outbreak of plague in nearly 1,800 animals. The owners of the flocks have requested tests in an independent laboratory, but there is none in Bulgaria. The samples are now in the certified laboratory and are being processed. "The re-sampling was necessary so that the situation could be calmed down because the owners did not believe that the first samples were relevant," he explained.

On Nova Television’s morning show, the head of Bulgarian Food Safety Agency’s Animal Health Directorate Daniel Denev underlined that the plague is not a virus that can be acquired on the territory of Bulgaria. "The only option for the spread of this disease, as a major contact infection, is the purchase and illegal trade of sick or infected animals," he explained, stressing that plague in small ruminants has been recorded in Romania, Turkiye and Greece.

WATER PRICES

BNT reported that the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission will discuss proposals by more than 30 water and wastewater service operators to raise water prices from the New Year. Preliminary estimates indicate that the average increase will be 2.6%. The estimates are based on the water companies' 5-year business plans.

HEALTH

Telegraph features an interview with dentist Atanas Kirov, who said that at the age of 40 Bulgarians are missing at least 2-3 teeth. Among the reasons, he pointed out that dentists often suggest extracting a tooth when they see that it is in worse condition, instead of fighting to save it. Kirov also said that people do not usually go for a checkup immediately after experiencing pain, but hope the problem will go away - instead, it often gets worse.