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| 16 Jan 2012, Issue 3299 · USD: 1.53146 EUR: 1.95583 · Sofia: min -13°, max -5° Varna: min -5°, max 2° · |
| BUSINESS POLITICS WORLD SOCIETY SPORTS FORUM |
Bulgaria Formalizes Military Ties with Israel
 Bulgaria
and Israel have signed two military agreements at a meeting of their
Defense Ministers, Anyu Angelov and Ehud Barak, in Tel Aviv.
read |
Bulgaria's President-elect: I Am Already Working Hard
 Bulgaria's
President-elect, Rosen Plevneliev, announced that he has selected an
ambitious team which is already working hard and has very ambitious
plans for the country.
read |
S&P: Eurozone Highly Likely to Enter Recession in 2012
 There
is a 40% possibility that the eurozone enters a recession in 2012,
commented a representative of credit rating agency Standard & Poor's
Saturday.
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BULGARIA'S RULERS PROMISE SHALE GAS BAN, PROTESTERS CLAIM
Bulgaria's ruling center-right GERB party has taken a political commitment to ban the exploration and production of shale gas in the country, according to environmentalists. Several thousand eco protesters gathered in Bulgaria's capital Sofia on Saturday in front of the House of Parliament to protest against what they see as a highly hazardous technique, hydraulic fracking, that is employed for shale gas exploration and extraction. They were joined by thousands more in cities across the country, with the more prominent being in Varna, Dobrich and Plovdiv. In the summer of 2011, the Bulgarian government gave a permit to US fuel giant Chevron to explore for shale gas in a fertile area in the north-east in Dobrich Region. Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov, Minister of Economy and Energy Traicho Traikov, and Minister of Environment Nona Karadzhova have thus far spoken supportively of the exploration plans, but have vowed to preserve the environment in the procedure. At the Sofia protest Saturday however, an environmentalist leader, Angel Slavchev from a civic group called "Civic Initiative for the Ban on Shale Gas" told the BGNES agency that GERB representatives in Parliament had agreed to table and vote for legislation prohibiting shale gas production from Bulgaria. According to Slavchev, civic movement representatives met Friday night with Parliament Speaker Tsetska Tsacheva and other GERB MPs, who told them the shale gas bill will be included in the Wednesday agenda of the Bulgarian National Assembly. They also said they had a "political decision to support the moratorium on shale gas," claimed the environmentalist. People at the Saturday protest rallies in 12 Bulgarian cities and towns raised slogans such as "Traicho and Nona, You'll Go to Jail", "Don't Gas Us!", and "We Want Bread, Not Gas!" 
BULGARIA TO ABSORB ALL EU FUNDS BY 2013 - MINISTER Bulgaria will have absorbed the entire BGN 13 B allotted from the EU funds to the country in 2013, stated Bulgarian European Funds Minister Tomislav Donchev. Speaking in an interview for Darik Radio Saturday, Donchev added that Bulgaria will be negotiating for BGN 16 B of funds for EU's next programing period. The EU Funds minister explained that Bulgaria's priorities till 2020 will center around transport and water infrastructure. "If we obtain that financing for the next programing period, we plan to invest BGN 5 B in roads, railways and water, BGN 4 B in education and social policies, and the rest in regional development projects," specified Donchev. As part of the regional development EU funds absorption strategy, key will be city development, energy efficiency and investments in small and medium enterprises, according to the minister. Donchev also said that part of the efforts of the Bulgarian government will be directed into a "shortening of the path of funds," meaning less administrative hurdles in effecting European projects. LIVESTOCK BREEDING IN SE BULGARIA IN COLLAPSE OVER FDM One year after the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, FMD, in Bulgaria's Strandzha region, livestock breeding there is in collapse. The news was reported Sunday by the largest private TV channel bTV. Farmers, whose animals were killed, cannot rebuild their herds. If quarantine imposed bans are not removed by Easter, mass bankruptcies of farmers will follow, according to the report. Atanas Chaldakov lost 209 cows, after FDM was discovered in his farm. The money he has received as compensation for animals killed, is not enough for half a herd, he says, adding he will need at least five years to restore his heard and will have to make copayment from his own pocket. Another farm, in the village Fakia, which before had over 80 cows, now stands empty. Its owner had abandoned livestock breeding. Farmers in the area, who failed to sell their lambs last Easter over the quarantine, fear that the situation will be repeated this spring. "If restrictions can be lifted in April when the Easter holidays start, this will save us. If the restrictive measures continue this year, there will be no animals left here, "says Rumen Lyutskanov - Chairman of the Association of Livestock Breeders in Strandza. The Food Safety Agency explains that the ban on movement and trade of animals in the regions of Burgas, Yambol and Haskovo can be lifted no earlier than April - a year after the last detected case of FMD. Farmers wonder why the construction of the fence along the border with Turkey, which must stop further FDM outbreaks, has been delayed. "The actual installation is very complicated; such fence had not been built until now. It has a length of approximately 270 km; the terrain is inaccessible at places, "said Milena Lakova - Secretary General of the Regional Administration in Burgas. The project for the fence is ready, but has yet to be agreed with the government. The deadline for construction is not clear. It is, however, known that the BGN 7 M, granted by the State, will not be enough. On January 5, 2011, the first in the past 12 years case of FMD occurred in Bulgaria. A wild boar with FMD was killed in the region of the southeastern Bulgarian city of Burgas. A 10 km security zone was established and all vehicles passing through the region were disinfected. All living animal trade in the Burgas region has been stopped. The European Commission was informed about the accident. FMD is a sometimes fatal viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic animals such as cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats and pigs. Humans are very rarely affected. FMD is highly contagious and, while it is not so dangerous for humans, a possible outbreak may cause severe economic damage in case there is a ban on the export of animal products, according to the Bulgarian Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov. At the time, several centers of infection were registered in Turkey. At the end of August, Bulgaria's government announced it will start building its border fence with Turkey no earlier than the beginning of 2012. It had initially intended to have the fence built by October 2011. The decision for the fence's construction came after a number of villages in the remote Strandzha region in south-east Bulgaria bordering on Turkey experienced severe outbreaks of FMD, leading to the destruction of hundreds of heads of livestock. In January-February and then again since mid-March, Bulgaria was struggling to contain the spread of FMD. Officials said they believed the disease was spread from flares in Turkey by wild animals roaming the Strandzha Mountain forests. In the Cold War period the Bulgarian-Turkish border was a border between the Soviet-dominated Warsaw Pact and NATO, and as such was one of the most-heavily fortified borders in Europe. Since the early 1990s, Bulgaria has torn down its border fortifications and has ever dismissed its Third Army, which was deployed in the area. Bulgaria's intention to build a new fence on its Turkish border came as Greece also announced plans for similar measure but designed to tackle the influx of illegal immigrants from the Middle East via Turkey. Meanwhile, Turkish regions along the Bulgarian border began taking measures to prevent the spread of food-and-mouth disease from Bulgaria even though the Bulgarian authorities claimed the infection came from Turkey. The Turkish authorities suspended all movement or evacuation of animals in the region of Kirklareli, known in Bulgaria as Lozengrad. The measure will be in place until May 9, 2021. What is more, the authorities in European Turkey started immunization of local domestic animals against FMD. According to EU sources, the European Commission has provided Turkey with 850 000 immunization doses even though the Turkish state has not provided official information. It was reported in April 2011 that farmers in southeast Bulgaria will be receive compensations totaling BGN 2.4 M (EUR 1.2 M) for their livestock destroyed in order to contain the spread of FMD. Losses of farmers in the southeast Burgas District are estimated at BGN 6-10 M, or up to EUR 5 M. The compensations are a part of the overall measures of the Bulgarian government to counter the new FMD outbreak. They are being provided to three groups of farmers – those who have their livestock destroyed; those who will be prohibited from moving or selling their animals within a 10-km zone, and those who are not allowed to trade in milk or meat. REVENUES OF BULGARIA'S PORT BURGAS UP 37% IN 2011 One of Bulgaria's three Black Sea ports, Port Burgas, saw its revenues grow by 37.5% in 2011 year-on-year, the port authority announced Sunday. Thus, in 2011, Port Burgas Jsc had total revenues of BGN 33 M, up by BGN 9 M compared with its revenues in 2010. Port Burgas's total profit before taxes amounted to BGN 8 M; in 2011, the Black Sea port processed a total of 3.5 million metric tons of cargo, which is an increase of about half a million metric tons compared with the total freight amount it got in 2010. Port Burgas has seen an increase of its general cargo by 475 000 metric tons, most of that – 291 000 tons – coming from the transportation of processed metals. The bulk of the other goods and materials that passed through Port Burgas in 2011 is made up of oil, coal, sugar, grain, fertilizers, construction materials, lumber. In 2011, the port processed 108 000 tons more in terms of container traffic than it did in 2010. The port authority said Sunday that the "good rate of work" is persisting into the new year; on January 16, for example, the port expects a container vessel, Estebroker, which will bring in 65 containers (of those, 63 refrigerating), and will load up 125 containers (of those, 123 transit) The 208-meter long container vessel Estebroker is serving container trade between South American, the Mediterranean, and the Black Sea. "The good financial and economic results as well as the constant efforts of the port management to apply various marketing techniques have led to increasing the volume of trade, attracting new clients, and retaining existing ones," the Bulgarian Transport Ministry said regarding the work of Port Burgas. S&P MASSIVELY DOWNGRADES EUROZONE CREDIT RATINGS Credit rating agency Standard & Poor's has confirmed earlier information and lowered the ratings of nine eurozone member countries, including France. All euro zone states have their outlook also moved to negative, except Germany and Slovakia. France has had its credit rating downgraded from AAA to AA+, a move that had been feared for months, but had been dismissed by President Nicolas Sarkozy. Two of the other largest EU economies had their ratings also reduced: Italy from A to BBB+, Spain from AA- to A. Austria also experienced, like France, a downgrade from the highest AAA rating to AA+. The other countries with reduced ratings are Cyprus, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Slovakia. EU national and European-level leaders, including Economy Commissioner Olli Rehn have dismissed the announcement as "untimely." At the same, Standard & Poor's argued that in the past months the EU and eurozone member countries have not done enough to tackle the debt crisis. S&P: EUROZONE HIGHLY LIKELY TO ENTER RECESSION IN 2012 There is a 40% possibility that the eurozone enters a recession in 2012, commented a representative of credit rating agency Standard & Poor's Saturday. Late Friday S&P downgraded the credit ratings of 9 euro zone member states, including France, Spain and Italy, and revised the outlooks of all common currency countries except Germany and Slovakia to negative. "We forecast that there is a probability of 40% for a recession in the eurozone for 2012, which would likely be around 1.5%," commented S&P analysts Moritz Kremer, who manages credit ratings for Europe. In its announcement Standard & Poor's has opined that efforts of EU countries, including a recently negotiated fiscal stability pact, were not sufficient to emerge from the debt crisis. EU leaders, including European Commissioners and member state ministers, have reacted with skepticism at the rating downgrades, arguing they were tendentiously timed. German Foreign Affairs Minister Guido Westerwelle, who has been critical of rating agencies' role, said that the move "artificially maintains tension" just at a time when eurozone governments have braced to tackle the financial crisis. At an emergency sitting of the French cabinet called by President Nicolas Sarkozy, PM Francois Fillon stated that France's downgrade from AAA to AA+ should not be taken too dramatically. WORKERS AT BULGARIA'S STATE MINES LAUNCH EFFECTIVE STRIKE Miners at Bulgaria's State-owned Maritsa Iztok Mines are launching an effective strike at 8 pm Sunday. The news was reported by the Bulgarian National Radio, BNR, citing Valentin Valchev, Chairman of the Confederation of Independent and Free Syndicates in Bulgaria, KNSB, at the company. The strike will involve all three mines. The workers will show up for work, but will not fulfill their job duties. "The entire strike committee visited the three mines, and met will people from two shifts – 100% of them support the plan for effective strike over the irresponsible attitude of the employer," Valchev said. Saturday the miners launched a symbolic protest, warning that effective strike was in store, after talks failed Friday - workers just signed upon going to work that they support the future strike and are against what they have labeled "the irresponsible behavior of the company's management." About four thousand miners and administration employees have joined the strike action, supported by Bulgaria's two main trade unions. The main subject of argument is a better payment, and in particular a request for a cash bonus workers were promised in the summer. The argument between the management of Maritsa Iztok Mines AD and the syndicates at the state-owned company has been going on for a month, but the talks have failed to bring a resolution. The trade unions insist that the employer comply with the agreement signed on July 12, 2011 regulating the relative share of the wage costs in relation to the company's revenues. They claim that Evgeni Stoykov, CEO of Maritsa Iztok Mines AD withdrew his signature from the document despite the anticipated BGN 500 M in revenues of the company, thereby leaving the miners without year-end bonuses. The management of Maritza Iztok Mines AD, however, has said that it has fulfilled all of its commitments under the agreement. Bulgaria's PM Boyko Borisov sided with the company's governing body, falsely claiming that the miners were better paid than the Finance Minister. Asked to comment on the matter, Energy Minister Traicho Traikov noted that he appreciated the work of the miners, who had doubled the output of the company, but added that the 15% pay rise they had been given had been an adequate reward. 
CEO OF BULGARIA'S MARITSA IZTOK MINES DECLARES STRIKE ILLEGAL Evgeni Stoykov, CEO of Bulgaria's Maritsa Iztok Mines issued Sunday a special address to miners, alerting them that their planned effective strike is illegal. In the declaration, he states that he is valuing highly the effort to execute and exceed production tasks for 2011, stressing that during talks with the labor unions, the management of the mines had voiced readiness to pay additional compensations to those directly involved in production, who have contributed the most for the good results. Earlier Sunday, the miners at Bulgaria's State-owned Maritsa Iztok Mines announced they are launching an effective strike at 8 pm the same day. In response, Stoykov says that for the fourth quarter of 2011, 10.35% in compensations, calculated in the base of the net quarterly wage, will be paid with the December salary, insisting that it is impossible for the company to fulfill any additional requests, warning this would lead to an aggravated financial and economic situation. He assures the management had applied all effort to declare good intentions and is ready to continue negotiations. "I am convinced that you all know that the legality of the planned strike is doubtful, and is being challenged in Court. If the latter declares the strike illegal, all participants will endure disciplinary and monetary responsibility. According to the law, at times of strike, the employer does not pay wages. I appeal to your common sense to manage, through joint effort, to resolve the issue, without threatening the future of the Maritsa Iztok mines," the declaration concludes. The effective strike is planned for all there mines. On Saturday the miners launched a symbolic protest, warning that effective strike was in store, after talks failed Friday - workers just signed upon going to work that they support the future strike and are against what they have labeled "the irresponsible behavior of the company's management." About four thousand miners and administration employees have joined the strike action, supported by Bulgaria's two main trade unions. The main subject of argument is a better payment, and in particular a request for a cash bonus workers were promised in the summer. The argument between the management of Maritsa Iztok Mines AD and the syndicates at the state-owned company has been going on for a month, but the talks have failed to bring a resolution. The trade unions insist that the employer comply with the agreement signed on July 12, 2011 regulating the relative share of the wage costs in relation to the company's revenues. They claim Stoykov had withdrown his signature from the document despite the anticipated BGN 500 M in revenues of the company, thereby leaving the miners without year-end bonuses. The management of Maritza Iztok Mines AD, however, has said that it has fulfilled all of its commitments under the agreement. Bulgaria's PM Boyko Borisov sided with the company's governing body, falsely claiming that the miners were better paid than the Finance Minister. Asked to comment on the matter, Energy Minister Traicho Traikov noted that he appreciated the work of the miners, who had doubled the output of the company, but added that the 15% pay rise they had been given had been an adequate reward. BULGARIAN GOVT FLIES IN UK JOURNALISTS TO PROMOTE SKI RESORTS A total of 12 journalists from leading British media are arriving in Bulgaria on Monday, January 16, as part of the efforts of the Bulgarian government to promote the country as a tourist destination. The five-day stay of the UK journalists in Bulgarian winter and ski resorts is the third tour for foreign media organized by the Bulgarian Ministry of Economy, Energy, and Tourism in the past few months. The two previous tours featuring journalists from Western European media focused on cultural, spa, wellness, golf, and wine tourism; the tours are funded under EU Operational Program "Regional Development." The new tour for foreign journalist will seek to present Bulgaria as a year-round tourist destination featuring high-quality winter tourism services – ski, climbing, spa, wines, and gourmet experiences. The British journalist flying in on Monday are first visiting the ski resort of Borovets; they will then go to the Rila Monastery, the largest Bulgarian winter resort of Bansko, and will end their tour in the southwestern town of Sandanski. The Bulgarian Economy Ministry emphasized Sunday that Britain is one of the key markets for Bulgarian tourist services. Some 300 000 Brits visited Bulgaria as tourists in 2010. The media campaigns of the Bulgarian government aim at bringing this number to 500 000 by 2020. GREEK BORDER POLICE 'HAD TO' GAS BULGARIAN HOOLIGANS - EMBASSY Greek border police had to use force against Bulgarian volleyball fans in an incident earlier this week, said the Greek embassy in Sofia in a statement over the matter. Thursday the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a protest, after Wednesday evening Greek security forces clashed with supporters of Bulgarian CSKA volleyball team, who had travelled to Thessaloniki to see a game with local Iraklis. According to the Greek embassy's statement, Iraklis had not allowed Bulgarian fans to be present in its facility for the game, which resulted in two of the three CSKA fan buses not being allowed entry into Thessaloniki. In its letter, the Bulgarian Foreign Affairs Ministry had objected to the obstruction that Greece had made to the Bulgarian citizens' freedom of movement. According to the statement of the Greek embassy, which had consulted with Greek border police, CSKA fans attacked Greek border security guards upon arriving at the Promachonas checkpoint. "During passport check, some of the Bulgarian fans got off the buses and started throwing stones, smoke bombs and other objects at Greek border police officers," reads the embassy's statement. The Greek position explains that in that turn of events "the use of teargas was absolutely necessary" to restore order and the movement of vehicles through the Promachonas-Kulata checkpoint. The Greek embassy further reports that the police unit in Promachonas is carrying out investigations of the incident and has already filed charges of assault, damaging of property and violations of the legislation on use of pyrotechnic devices. BULGARIA FORMALIZES MILITARY TIES WITH ISRAEL Bulgaria and Israel have signed two military agreements at a meeting of their Defense Ministers, Anyu Angelov and Ehud Barak, in Tel Aviv. The first agreement provides for joint military drills between the armed forces of Bulgaria and Israel, the Bulgarian Defense Ministry announced. "The agreement aims at expanding the military cooperation between the two states through the carrying out of joint drills, which will lead to greater interoperability and improvement of the training of armed force units for working in an international environment," explained the Defense Ministry in Sofia. The second document singed Sunday at the meeting of Anyu Angelov and Ehud Barak in Tel Aviv is a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in military industry; it is signed by the Israeli Defense Ministry and the Bulgarian Economy Ministry. The memorandum on the military-industrial complex regulates military manufacturing and arms trade as well as research and development activities in the ties between Bulgaria and Israel. "I am convinced that these two agreements that we signed today are not just a document for business and a document for the armies of the two countries, but also bring a political message – Bulgaria and Israel are a step closer towards stronger cooperation and a strategic dialogue," Bulgaria's Defense Minister Gen. Anyu Angelov declared in the Israeli capital. His talks with Ehud Barak lasted for one hour, focusing on various defense cooperation options, including information exchange. EU LEADERS DEPLORE S&P CREDIT RATING DOWNGRADE EU commissioners and ministers have expressed their negative surprise at the massive downgrade of eurozone members' credit ratings from Standard & Poor's. The influential credit rating agency announced it has lowered the credit ratings of 9 eurozone members, and revised the outlook of all of them save Germany and Slovakia to negative. European Economy Commissioner Olli Rehn has criticized the decision as "wrong and illogical." According to Rehn, S&P has deliberately chosen to announce the downgrade at a moment in which eurozone countries have taken crucial measures to overcome the debt crisis. EU Internal Market and Trade Commissioner Michel Barnier has joined Rehn's remarks, saying he is "surprised" at the announcement. "While governments and EU institutions are hard at work to discipline public finances, I am surprised that this precise moment has been chosen by S&P," said Barnier. On the other hand, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble has stated that his country is not "entirely surprised" at the announcement. The Austrian government has also slammed Standard & Poor's move as "incomprehensible." Austria, along with France, has lost its top AAA rating to an AA+. Another two of the EU's largest economies, Italy and Spain, also suffered a downgrade. In France, President Nicolas Sarkozy, who faces elections in less than 4 months, called an emergency sitting of the cabinet of PM Francois Fillon. PERCENTAGE OF EMPLOYED BULGARIANS IN RETIREMENT AGE ON RISE The percentage of employed Bulgarians between the age of 60 and 64 is going steadily up, according to data released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the EU. In 2010, 26.6% of Bulgarians aged 60-64 were employed, compared to 10.5% in 2000. In addition, 62.2% of Bulgarians in the age group 55-59 were working in 2010 – almost a double increase compared to 2000 when this percentage had been 33.5%. According to data of the National Statistics Institute, NSI, there are 450 000 people in Bulgaria in these two age groups. The proportion of the population in the EU who are aged 55 and over rose from 25% in 1990 to 30% in 2010, and is estimated to reach around 40% by 2060. In Bulgaria, these percentages are 31.5% and 25.7%, respectively. In connection with the demographic challenges presented by this increase, the European Union has designated 2012 as the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations, Eurostat announce. Active ageing means that older age groups have the opportunity to stay in the workforce and share their experience, to keep playing an active role in society and to live as healthy and fulfilling lives as possible. To mark the European Year, Eurostat issues a new publication "Active ageing and solidarity between generations – a statistical portrait of the European Union 2012"2, prepared in collaboration with the European Commission's Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion and Eurofound, the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. This publication presents data on topics such as demography, employment, transition from work to retirement, healthcare, living conditions and participation in society. In this News Release the most recent data on demographic trends and employment amongst the older population are presented, while more information on attitudes towards ageing and the participation of older persons in society can be found in a new Eurobarometer survey from the European Commission as well as in the Eurostat publication. The share of those aged 55 and over varied between 21% in Ireland and 33% in Germany and Italy in 2010. The share of persons aged 55 and over in the total population increased between 1990 and 2010 in all Member States. In 2010, the largest shares of those aged 55-64 were observed in Finland (14.7% of the total population), the Czech Republic and Malta (both 14.1%), and the lowest in Ireland (10.1%), Lithuania (10.7%) and Luxembourg (10.8%). For the age group 65 and over, the highest shares were found in Germany (20.7%), Italy (20.2%) and Greece (18.9%), and the lowest in Ireland (11.3%), Slovakia (12.3%) and Cyprus (13.1%). Employment rate for those aged 60 to 64 ranged between 13% in Hungary and 61% in Sweden in 2010 Employment of the older population has strongly increased over the last decade. While the employment rate for those aged 20-64 in the EU increased by 2.1 percentage points (from 66.5% in 2000 to 68.6% in 2010), the rates for older age groups rose more sharply, by 10.6% for those aged 55-59 (from 50.3% to 60.9%) and by 7.5 pp for those aged 60 to 64 (from 23.0% to 30.5%). The employment rate remained at around 5% for those aged 65 and over. In 2010, the highest employment rates for those aged 55-59 were observed in Sweden (80.7%), Denmark (75.9%) and Finland (72.5%), and the lowest in Poland (45.8%), Slovenia (46.9%) and Malta (49.3%). For those aged 60-64 the highest rates were recorded in Sweden (61.0%), the United Kingdom (44.0%) and Estonia (42.8%), and the lowest in Hungary (13.0%), Malta (14.2%) and Slovakia (17.2%). For those aged 65 and over, the highest employment rates were found in Portugal (16.5%), Romania (13.0%) and Cyprus (12.9%), and the lowest in France and Slovakia (both 1.6%) and Hungary (1.9%). BULGARIA'S PRESIDENT-ELECT: I AM ALREADY WORKING HARD Bulgaria's President-elect, Rosen Plevneliev, announced that he has selected an ambitious team which is already working hard and has very ambitious plans for the country. Plevneliev spoke Sunday in an interview for the Bulgarian National Radio, BNR. He stated that the priorities for the State were his top priorities as well, while the most difficult task, he would undertake as early as his first day in office, would be the National Program for Development of Bulgaria until 2020. "In the first month in office, 5 Councils at the Presidency, with clear and outlined programs, will begin work. We want to be fully transparent and we will broadcast online our agenda and our decisions. We have invited NGOs, trade unions, employers' organizations, ministers, and representatives of the academic community – everyone who has something to say about national priorities," the President-elect stated. He pointed out his team wants to change the very same format in working with the media to make the latter feel comfortable and have equal access to information. Plevneliev further stated intentions to constantly travel around the country where mobile offices to meet with people will be set. He voiced conviction that if Bulgaria wishes to become a wealthier country, the economy must be developed in a stable and balanced way; it must fight bureaucracy thus attract more foreign investments. "Europe is paying the price of companies and countries taking loans in many years. The debt crisis is the most serious crisis from the three shaking the Old continent, the other two being the economic and the financial ones. After the huge overeating, this is the time for a serious diet. But Europe will come out of the crisis stronger; this is the biggest economy in the world," the President-elect noted. Plevneliev vowed to work hard on the next stage of European integration. He explained he gets along wonderfully with his Deputy, former Justice Minister, and Vice President-elect, Margarita Popova. He will be inaugurated in office on January 20. BULGARIAN SOCIALISTS HAIL PES LEADER AHEAD OF ELECTION The recent election of Bulgarian Socialist Party leader Sergey Stanishev to chair the Party of European Socialists is both an honor for Bulgaria and a great responsibility for the party, states the party in a declaration. Saturday the National Council of the Bulgarian Socialists held a sitting to discuss strategic matters, in particular their future actions as Bulgaria's largest opposition party. The National Council also adopted a declaration addressed to the Socialists' supporters in Bulgaria, in which it vowed to pursue its principles in defending freedom and solidarity. "BSP will be opposing the anti-social policy and anti-democratic methods by which Bulgaria is ruled [by center-right GERB party]. Today Bulgaria needs us to defend democratic principles, constitutionalism and the very rights of its citizens," states the declaration. "The crisis that the European Union is currently facing make it ever clearer that it cannot stand for economic and political interests only. It rather must base itself firmly on common values - freedom, justice, solidarity, equal rights and the rule of law." The declaration also lauds the election of leader Stanishev to chair PES until a regular congress in the fall, and states that this is a high distinction for the party as a modern European leftist entity. Speaking at the sitting, Stanishev, who was Bulgaria's PM 2005-9, proposed that the Socialists create a shadow cabinet to propose concrete and thoroughgoing alternatives to the policies of PM Boyko Borisov's cabinet. Stanishev also stressed that any possible rapprochement with GERB will be unprincipled, and will lead to both loss of identity of the Socialists, and negative effects for Bulgaria as a whole. Some believe that outgoing Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov, once BSP's leader, might want to work for such rapprochement after the imminent end of his second term in office on January 22. Parvanov is also believed to have the ambition to face Stanishev and reclaim the leader's position of the Bulgarian Socialist Party at a congress the Socialists will hold, most probably in May. BULGARIAN SOCIALIST LEADER: COALITION WITH GERB MEANS SUICIDE Any coalition of opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party with ruling center-right GERB would be extremely harmful, argued socialist leader Sergey Stanishev. "Any play with GERB will mean suicide for the Bulgarian Socialist Party. It would be beyond negative both for us and the country," stated the PES president Saturday. Over the summer, outgoing Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov said he would like to work for opening BSP to "new and strong coalition partners." Parvanov has also not hidden intentions to come back to the Socialists, whom he chaired before becoming president in 2001, and wrestle the leadership position from Stanishev on a congress in 2012. Parvanov's rhetoric about new coalition partners of the Socialists has led some to speculate he might be willing to affect a rapprochement with GERB, currently Bulgaria's strongest party. "What basis would such a coalition have? Is our party ready to take part in such a government that is leading our country to a dead end? Can we give up our identity in the name of power?" questioned a highly emotional Stanishev Saturday. He stressed that the Socialist Party has been always open to dialogue and understanding, but is not willing to pay any price to reach a compromise with other political actors. 8 BULGARIANS ON WRECKED CRUISE SHIP IN ITALY REPORTED SAFE All eight Bulgarian citizens, who were on board of the Costa Concordia cruise ship that capsized off the coast of Tuscany in Italy Saturday, are safe and in good health. The news was reported by the press center of the Bulgarian Foreign Affairs Ministry. The Italian authorities and the company owner of the ship will assist them to return to Bulgaria while the Consular Office at the Bulgarian Embassy in Rome say they are also prepared to offer help. The Bulgarians among the crew are identified as Rosen Dimitrov, Detelin Dobrev, Hristo Hristov, Kamen Peev, Petar Petrov, Georgi Stoev, and Nikolay Vachev. Donka Todorova was a female passenger. According to the latest data from the early hours Sunday, at least 40 persons are reported missing, and 3 deaths and 70 injuries have been confirmed by local authorities in the capsizing of the stranded cruise ship. Two people were found alive overnight on board of the ship after the rescue team heard the voices of a man and woman and were able to locate them in a cabin on a lower deck. Both are said to be from Asian origin and in good health. The captain of the ship was arrested and charged with the murder of more than one person. 3 200 passengers and 1 023 crew members were on board at the time of the incident. The luxury Costa Concordia ship ran aground in shallows some 300 meters away from the Tuscany Giglio Island. This led to a capsizing of the large vessel, after a 70 meter hole formed in the body of the ship, filling it with water. SOFIA LAUNCHES BUS TO MOUNTAIN TO APPEASE SKIERS Municipal authorities in Bulgarian capital Sofia have announced 2 bus lines to nearby Vitosha Mountain, after it was announced lifts and gondolas on Vitosha will not operate for the winter. The 66 bus line is operating from the Hladilnika bus stop and goes through Dragalevtsi to the Moreni Hotel in the Aleko Resort on Vitosha. The 266 bus line starts from the first stop of the gondola in Simeonovo and again climbs up to the Aleko Resort. Both bus lines will operate only on weekends. The 266 bus will run 8am-5pm, when there are persons to be transported. The first 66 bus will leave Hladilnika at 7.50 am, while the last will leave Aleko at 6 pm. The one way fare for the buses will cost BGN 4, with the round trip at BGN 6. In December, the Vitoska Ski company, which owns and runs lifts and gondolas on the mountain, announced it will not turn them on and will hold no ski season this year. The reason given was that the state allegedly obstructed the company's work by not allowing it permits to expand its facilities in the mountain, which is a protected area. Environmentalists have argued that Vitosha Ski is trying to blackmail the state and have protested against swiftly drafted amendments to Bulgaria's Law on Forests, which would make such construction easier. THOUSANDS PROTEST AGAINST SHALE GAS IN BULGARIA Bulgarian citizens rallied in capital Sofia, as well as in Varna and Shumen, on Saturday to protest against the imminent exploration for shale gas in the country. The protesters, including environmentalists and ordinary citizens, have requested that the Bulgarian Parliament impose a moratorium and later a regulatory ban on the exploration and production of shale gas in the country. They see the novel method, involving so-called hydraulic fracking, as highly risky, with many instances of poisoning of groundwater reported globally. Over the summer, the Bulgarian government granted a concession to US energy giant Chevron to explore for shale gas in a large segment of Dobrudzha, north-eastern Bulgaria. Dobrudzha is one of the main agricultural regions of Bulgaria, producing a large part of the country's grain. It also holds important groundwater reserves. In Dobrudzha's largest center, Dobrich, hundreds gathered Saturday to express their opposition to the exploration of shale gas. A similar protest is being held in nearby Varna on the Black Sea, Bulgaria's third largest city. More than 1,000 gathered downtown in capital Sofia on a protest march against shale gas, which is planned to end with a protest in front of the House of Parliament. Some activists have claimed that Chevron exploration for shale gas in Bulgaria has already started undercover, in spite of assurance by senior government officials that finalization of the contract is outstanding, and that the company will have to present an environmental impact assessment. Saturday protests are scheduled for nine more cities across Bulgaria, including Plovdiv, Burgas, Shumen, Pleven and Blagoevgrad. Later Saturday afternoon a protester reported that during a meeting Friday, key ruling GERB party MPs, including Parliament Speaker Tsetska Tsacheva, had assured they made a "political commitment" to pass legislation banning the exploration and production of shale gas in Bulgaria. BULGARIA BRACES FOR WIND BRINGING COLD WAVE Code yellow for potentially dangerous weather has been called Saturday for all of northern Bulgaria. Bulgaria's largest sea port at Varna, on the Black Sea, has been closed for operations for the day, due to winds and a heavy sea. Code yellow has been declared for 11 regions in northern Bulgaria, including Varna, Dobrich, Ruse, Pleven and Vidin. Sunday the national forecast service at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences warns of continuing strong winds (7-12 m/s) along the Black Sea coast. Lows across are expected to drop to -6 degrees C, with highs not going over 2-4 C Sunday, as some snow is to set in later on Sunday. BULGARIA PICKS 12 EUROVISION FINALISTS The Musical Academy and the viewers of the Bulgarian National Television, BNT, selected Saturday evening the 12 finalist to take part in the 2012 Eurovision song contest. The 12 songs were selected among 22 semi-finalists. The finalists are as follows. - Desislava (DESS) - Love Is Alive – Academy Vote - Roma diva, Sofi Marinova - Love Unlimited – Viewers Vote - Group "New 5" - Chance For Better Life - Ivaylo Kolev feat. Hypnotic - Searching For the Words - Steliyana Hristov – the Road - Simona Sivannio- Eternal - Group "Go Week" - The Way You See the World - Tsvetelin Atanasov AKA The Elvis feat. DZ - Love Goes Around - Todor Gadzhalov - Still Love You - Svetozar Hristov - Keep Me Down - Rene Ranev - Alone - Vyara Panteleeve – Faith The phone lines to vote were opened after the last, 22nd song performance. One vote per person per song was allowed. The idea, the sets and the choreography of the show were in the Moulin Rouge style. The hosts were two of the starts of the Bulgarian hit TV series "Undercover," while the Musical Academy was chaired by popular Bulgarian pop music composer, Stefan Dimitrov. Azerbaijan's Eli and Nikki won the final of the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest. Bulgarian singer Polly Genova and her song "Na Inat" ("In Defiance") failed to make it to the Eurovision finals in Dusseldorf, Germany. BULGARIA'S PM TURNS NICER TO ARCHAEOLOGISTS OVER HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has made a deal with archaeologists digging on the route of a northern highway, after a few days ago he mistreated their colleagues blaming them for potential construction delays. Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, and the Minister of Regional Development, Lilyana Pavlova inspected Sunday the progress of construction works on the Hemus Highway in northern Bulgaria. Borisov and Pavlova visiting the 8-km section between the city of Shumen and village of Belokopitovo whose construction began in 2011, before the village of Panayot Volovo and the junction with the road to the Danube city of Ruse. The agreement that the Prime Minister made with the local archaeologists from the Regional History Museum of Shumen, who are excavating the route of the future highway, states that by the end of next week the archaeologists will determine a deadline for the completion of their work. “I want a fair answer from,” Borisov told them, saying also that the funding of the Hemus Highway section in question will be continued so that it could be built by the deadline of September 30. He also promised further funding for the excavations and additional equipment for archaeologists on the spot. On Wednesday, during a similar inspection, the PM shocked many, when he treated local archaeologists in a surprisingly offensive fashion with respect to an archaeological site found during the construction of the southwestern highway "Struma." Borisov and his Cabinet have already expressed their discontent over the fact that the very recent discoveries of Thracian archaeological sites along the route of the Struma Highway might delay its construction. In December 2011, Borisov accused the archaeologists of "racketeering" the state. The Bulgarian government’s major concern has been that the archaeological digs might delay the entire projects for the highway construction, thus leading the state to lose the negotiated EU funding. When completed, the Hemus Highway, whose construction began in the distant 1975, during the Communist regime of dictator Todor Zhivkov, will connect the capital Sofia with the Black Sea city of Varna via Northern Bulgaria. BULGARIAN BORDER POLICEMAN BUSTED FOR EXTORTION Bulgarian police have arrested a colleague from the border authority at the Capitan Andreevo checkpoint on the Bulgarian – Turkish border on extortion and bribing accusations. The information was reported Sunday by Commissar, Rumen Ganev, Chief of the Internal Control Directorate at the Interior Ministry. The arrest was result of a joint operation of the Internal Directorate, the Main Directorate Border Police, and the Regional Prosecutor's Office in the city of Haskovo. The 10-day probe started after the authorities received several alerts from foreign citizens that the man in question systematically asked them for bribes, which is abuse of power, punishable by the law. The arrest happened Saturday evening and the border employee was busted red-handed, at the moment of receiving cash from a foreigner while on duty. The man, 32, had been employed as an assistant operative worker at the Border Police Precinct in the border town of Svilengrad. He has worked for the Interior Ministry for 8 years, of them only a couple of months at Capitan Andreevo. He had never been sanctioned before. According to the police report, he had been asking anywhere between USD 50 and 200 to assist foreign citizens in crossing the border faster. The man is held behind bars for 24 hours, before facing the judge. He will be fired from the Interior Ministry. BULGARIAN CABINET'S DREAM Q: What's the dream of the Bulgarian Cabinet? A: To see the people gone but to keep the budget. ITALIAN CRUISER DEATH TOLL CLIMBS TO 5, 15 STILL MISSING The confirmed number of deaths in the sinking of a cruise liner off the coast of Italy rose to five on Sunday with the discovery of two more bodies in the flooded stern of the Costa Concordia. According to the Ansa news agency, cited by DPA, the bodies of two elderly men were found by scuba divers in a cabin. Both were wearing life jackets. The gruesome discovery came just hours after firefighters rescued a third survivor, officer Marrico Giampetroni, who was suffering from leg injuries but was not in a life-threatening condition. Firefighters located him after hearing noises coming from a partially flooded area of the ship. He was then hoisted onto a helicopter. "I always hoped I would be saved. I lived through a 36-hour nightmare," Giampetroni told reporters at the scene. A honeymooning South Korean couple, identified as Hye Jim Jeong and Kideok Han, was brought to safety overnight, while 15 people - nine passengers and six crew members - remain unaccounted for, nearly two days after the sinking of the Costa Concordia off Italy's western coast. Efforts to reach survivors were hampered by blocked doors and staircases, and scattered furniture inside the 290-meter ship, which is half-submerged and listing 80 degrees with a crack in its hull. Meanwhile, two Japanese tourists who had been listed among the missing were traced in Rome earlier Sunday after they left the scene of the accident without first informing the authorities. The other confirmed victims are two French passengers and a Peruvian crew member. The three men are thought to have drowned after the ship hit a rock and then ran aground late Friday near Giglio, a small island off the coast of Tuscany. The ship's captain, Francesco Schettino, was taken into custody on Saturday after being questioned by investigators trying to determine the cause of the accident. He faces possible charges of multiple manslaughter and of causing a disaster. There are growing suspicions that Schettino may have steered the vessel close to Giglio to salute tourists gathered on its port. Similar manoeuvres have taken place several times before, according to witnesses. "Many ships pass by Giglio to salute the island's inhabitants with a whistle. It is a beautiful spectacle to watch the illuminated ship from land ... This time things went badly," Italian daily La Repubblica quoted Giglio Mayor Sergio Ortelli as saying. Meanwhile, the ship's 'black box' had been recovered and was expected to shed light on the vessel's final movements, while there was growing concern about a possible oil spill, with the ship carrying an estimated 2,380 tons of diesel fuel. Its Genoa-based owner said 3,216 passengers and 1,013 crew members were on board at the time of the accident. 3RD SURVIVOR RESCUED FROM SUNKEN CRUISE SHIP IN ITALY Firefighters in Italy have rescued a third survivor from a sunken cruise ship, a Costa Concordia crew member. Meanwhile, investigators have turned the heat on the captain amid growing suspicions that he may have steered his vessel dangerously close to Giglio island, DPA reported. According to Italian media reports, officer Marrico Giampetroni was suffering from leg injuries but was not in a life-threatening condition. Firefighters located him after hearing noises coming from a partially flooded area of the ship. The latest rescue came just hours after a South Korean couple on their honeymoon was brought to safety. Its Genoa-based owner said 3,216 passengers and 1,013 crew members were on board at the time of the accident. About 14 passengers were still receiving hospital treatment Sunday, while there was growing concern about a possible oil spill, with the ship carrying an estimated 2,380 tons of diesel. Efforts to reach survivors were hampered by blocked doors and staircases, and scattered furniture inside the 290-meter ship, which is half-submerged and listing 80 degrees with a crack in its hull. Nearly 40 others still remain unaccounted for, more than 30 hours after the sinking of the Costa Concordia off Italy's western coast. Two Japanese tourists who had been listed among the missing were traced in Rome after they left the scene of the accident without first informing the authorities. Three people have been confirmed dead so far: Two French passengers and a Peruvian crew member. The three men are thought to have drowned after the ship hit a rock and then ran aground late Friday near Giglio, a small island off the coast of Tuscany. The ship's captain, Francesco Schettino, was taken into custody on Saturday after being questioned by investigators trying to determine the cause of the accident. He faces charges of multiple manslaughter and of causing a disaster. There are growing suspicions that Schettino may have steered the vessel close to Giglio to salute tourists gathered on its port. Similar manoeuvres have taken place several times before, according to witnesses. "Many ships pass by Giglio to salute the island's inhabitants with a whistle. It is a beautiful spectacle to watch the illuminated ship from land ... This time things went badly," daily La Repubblica quoted Giglio Mayor Sergio Ortelli as saying. Officials say cruise liners normally sail about 3-5 km away from Giglio. According to prosecutor Francesco Verusio, the fact that the ship had moved so close to the island meant that hitting rocks was inevitable. Verusio also noted that captain Schettino was certainly not the last to leave the ship. Meanwhile, the ship's 'black box' had been recovered and was expected to shed light on the vessel's last movements. RUSSIA WORRIED BY AMERICA'S NEW SECURITY LAW The US new security law allowing the military to detain American terrorist suspects without trial has become a major cause of concern for Russia. The new US legislation may entail grave consequences and contradicts international law, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday, as cited by RIA Novosti. Last December, US President Barack Obama signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act, which contains provisions regulating the detention, interrogation, and prosecution of suspected terrorists. The new security law allows the US military to indefinitely detain without trial American terrorism suspects who could then be shipped to Guantánamo Bay. "On the whole, the law formulations are quite vague... The law contributes to wider exterritorial use of American criminal and anti-terrorist legislation in relation to citizens of third countries," the Russian Foreign Ministry stated on Sunday. By expanding the powers of the U.S. military as stipulated in the new security law, Washington breaches its obligations under the 1966 international covenant on civil and political rights relating to the ban on the illegitimate deprivation of liberty, tortures and cruel treatment of imprisoned persons, and also linked with the provision of fair justice, the statement said. "The new U.S. legislation also runs counter to its (US) obligations on international humanitarian law," Russia claims. BLACKOUT LEAVES 20 MILLION PEOPLE IN TURKEY IN DARK A technical failure has left most of Istanbul and north-western Turkey without electric power, reports CNN Turk Saturday. Millions in the central part of Istanbul, Turkey's most populous city (pop. 9 M), were left in the dark. The outage is reported to have also affected regions around Istanbul in Turkey's European and Asian parts, such as Edirne, Kocaeli, Sakarya, Kirklareli and Tekirdag, encompassing an estimated 20 million people. Unconfirmed reports have it that the blackout has been caused by excessive snowfall, which occasioned a failure at a power plant in the city of Bursa. Bulgarian Focus Information Agency reported that Turkey reacted by importing electricity from Bulgaria. KOSOVO POLICE CLASH WITH ALBANIAN PROTESTERS NEAR SERBIA BORDER Kosovo police has clashed with protesters, this time ethnic Albanians, who held a rally in Northern Kosovo against the import of goods from neighboring Serbia. The protest was organized by Albin Kurti, leader of the radical Self-Determination (Vetëvendosje) Kosovar movement. It had the goal to block the Merdare checkpoint to Serbia in a protest against what activists claim is the smuggling of embargoed Serbian goods. Some 100 Kosovo riot police blockaded the access to Merdare near the town of Podujevo, where they clashed with ralliers, using teargas and truncheons. According to reports by local sources, dozens have been injured from both sides of the clash. "Serbia is Kosovo's enemy and the slogan of our protest is "Serbia Shall Not Pass!" stated Albin Kurti, who was present at the rally. Serbia and Kosovo have mutually imposed embargoes on goods, as Serbia has refused to recognize the independence of its erstwhile province. Over the summer and fall of 2011, ethnic Serbs in Northern Kosovo staged massive road blocks in order to prevent Kosovo authorities taking over checkpoints to Serbia and imposing the embargo. THREE OR FOUR VEAL STEAKS AND A COUPLE OF ILL-TIMED APOLOGIES Two missing people were found dead within two days, leaving Bulgaria petrified. On Thursday, police found the dead body of 17-year-old Miroslava Nikolova. The girl, who had gone missing two months ago, was found to have been strangled. The ransom kidnapping stirred an explosion of media coverage after Prime Minister Boyko Borisov urged the relatives of the teenage victim to apologize to the police for criticizing their work. Borisov went on to instruct Interior Minister Tsvetanov to spare some money from his next salary to buy three or four veal steaks for the police dog in reward for the excellent job and to also award its handler. While Borisov was issuing his distorted orders, one of the suspects arrested for the murder committed suicide during a police search of his home. The ensuing scandal forced the Prime Minister to apologize for his remarks, which he said had been subjected to false, out-of-context interpretations, and to admit that the suicide of the suspect revealed a grave mistake on the part of the police. Just as Borisov was apologizing for asking the family of a murder victim apologize to the authorities, the same scenario played out all over again, this time without the dog. Borisov advised the son of 43-year-old Doremi Dzhorleva, a tax official in the northwestern Bulgarian town of Vratsa, whose remains were found Friday morning after she had been missing for a week , to also offer an apology to the officials of the Interior Ministry for his undeserved condemnatory comments. There are a number of ways to approach the unfolding situation. If we leave aside grief and despair and we go for anger, we cannot help noting that it is patently absurd to ask the relatives of murder victims, or any other citizen, to apologize to the authorities. Although the very meaning of the word "apology" got worn out by overuse in the past two days, there is an apt apology in the case. The apology should be offered to the Prime Minister and to the Interior Minister. We are sorry! We are sorry that you were given the chance to rise to power because you obviously cannot command public trust. We are also sorry that we are tolerating this and we are failing to unite behind a call for long-deserved resignations. If things stay the same, then we probably deserve each other. |
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