 |
 |
| 23 Jan 2012, Issue 3304 · USD: 1.51591 EUR: 1.95583 · Sofia: min -3°, max 4° Varna: min 0°, max 9° · |
| BUSINESSPOLITICSWORLDSOCIETYSPORTSFORUM |
President Parvanov: President Plevneliev Must Work for Justice
 Outgoing Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov gave his farewell speech at the handing down ceremony Sunday, after serving two terms in office. read |
New Bulgarian President Plevneliev: Bulgarian Unity Has Deep Roots
 Rosen Plevneliev gave his first speech as Bulgaria's President at an official inauguration ceremony at the Unknown Soldier monument Sunday. read |
Commissoners Georgieva, Hahn Honor New Bulgarian President
 European Commissioners Kristalina Georgieva and Johannes Hahn are holding a meeting with Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev just hours after his inauguration Sunday. read | ||
 | ||||
NEW BULGARIAN PRESIDENT PLEVNELIEV OFFICIALLY ASSUMES OFFICE
Rosen Plevneliev has assumed office as Bulgaria's new President after an official inauguration ceremony in Bulgarian capital Sofia Sunday. Plevneliev, who was elected in elections end of October 2011, will be Bulgaria's President for 5 years, until January 22, 2017. Plevneliev, who swore in as President in front of Bulgaria's Parliament Thursday, was nominated in fall presidential elections by ruling center-right GERB party. The erstwhile popular Regional Development Minister, won with some 53% of the vote at the second round, against the Bulgarian Socialist Party's candidate, MEP Ivaylo Kalfin. President Parvanov steps down after fulfilling his two constitutional 5-year terms in office. He was first elected in 2001 and then reelected in 2006. He is expected to return to the Bulgarian Socialist Party, which he chaired before becoming Bulgaria's President, perhaps to reclaim his leadership position. In his farewell speech, Parvanov emphasized that Plevneliev should work for the unity of the nation, and continue a tradition of strong and independent presidential institution. "Unity, however, does not mean uniformity of political thinking. One-party domination of Bulgarian political life cannot be good for the country," said Parvanov, referring to the dominant position of PM Boyko Borisov's GERB party in Bulgaria. "Bulgaria's new President must work hard to entrench a new political culture pitted against hatred, aggression, and demonization of political opponents," added the outgoing President. Parvanov also recalled what he saw as the successes of his two terms in office, among which he singled out being a strong voice in defense of the interests of the nation, andforging strong ties with friendly countries around the globe. In his first speech as Bulgaria's President, Plevneliev reiterated his vow to develop a comprehensive and thorough program for Bulgaria's development, based on a broad public debate, but also referred to the long tradition of Bulgarian statehood. "Bulgarians are a people with deep, strong roots. In the past, we have been united at times when everyone of us was looking to one direction, one goal," said the new President. "I will be modern Bulgaria's pragmatic president," stated Plevneliev, saying he will work not only for economic growth, but also for justice, a balanced regional development, education and culture. After giving their speeches, Rosen Plevneliev and outgoing Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov headed to the St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral, upon which they headed to the Presidency to hand down the office. Upon leaving, President Parvanov, first lady Zorka Parvanova, and VP Angel Marin werecheered by citizens assembled in front of the building, who handed them flowers. Plevneliev's first meetings as President of Bulgaria will be with EU Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn and EU Aid Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva Sunday afternoon. Rosen Plevneliev, 47, is the first Bulgarian President elected by popular vote who not only has a background as a successful businessman, but also an education in the hard and engineering sciences. President Zhelyu Zhelev is a philosopher, President Petar Stoyanov - a laywer, while President Georgi Parvanov - a historian.  BULGARIA'S HOLY SYNOD: GOD IS TESTING US These days God is testing us, but our Holy Church will overcome this ordeal, Bulgaria's Holy Synod says in a statement. It was included in the greetings of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church for the Saturday celebration of Patriarch Maxim's name day, read by the Plovdiv Bishop Nicholay. The Holy Mass and the liturgy for His Holiness name day were held in the Sofia "St. Nedelya (Sunday)" Church and lasted about three hours. Bishops Galaktion, Neofit, Yosif and Simeon did not attend the services. All four are among the 11 bishops exposed as agents of the former State Security, DS. On Tuesday, Bulgaria's so-called Files Commission – a panel investigating the Communist era secret files, revealed that eleven out of a total of fifteen Bulgarian Metropolitan bishops were former DS agents. "As if the other crosses you had to carry were not enough, but now God assigned you with an even heavier burden - to accept our humble confession and repentance and give us pardon for sins," according to the Holy Synod's greeting to the Patriarch. Metropolitan Nikolay is one of three bishops, together with Patriarch Maxim, for whom it was announced that they have not cooperated with DS. "Take this cross Your Holiness, because only you can carry it, said Metropolitan Nikolay. So far, only Vratsa Metropolitan Kalinik has asked his congregation for forgiveness, if they felt affected. Ruse Bishop Neofit said he does not feel guilty because he had been forced to collaborate. BULGARIA SIGNS COOPERATION AGREEMENTS WITH WORLD BANK, EIB Bulgaria signed Sunday memoranda for cooperation with the World Bank and the European Investment Bank on consultancy for major infrastructure projects. Present at the signing were Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov, EU Funds Minister Tomislav Donchev, as well as World Bank Vice-President for Eastern Europe Philippe Le Houerou, EIB President Wilhelm Molterer, and EU Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn. Just before signing the memoranda, Commissioner Hahn met new Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev and praised the marco-economic indicators achieved by the cabinet of Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov. "The memoranda of understanding with the World Bank and EIB will help Bulgaria in the absorption of European funds for the creation of large infrastructure projects," said Commissioner Hahn. Bulgarian PM Borisov said that he discussed with Hahn his government's ideas about the highways and railways that his government plans to construct or repair. Present at the signing was also European Bank for Reconstruction and Development President Jan Fischer. Bulgaria will sign a similar memorandum with ERDB Monday. BULGARIAN RAILWAYS ANNOUNCE TRAIN FARE HIKE Train fares in Bulgaria are going up, beginning Monday, January 23, the State-owned Railways BDZ Holding announced Saturday. The average price increase will be about 9%, compared to current ticket prices. The changes are triggered by the increased expenses of the national railroad carrier, related to the increase of prices of diesel fuel and electric power. The price increase is the first one since July 2008. In the meantime, the accumulated inflation since then had led to significant increase of expenses to deliver transportation services. Inflation index in August 2011, compared to January 2001 is 0.9%, while the diesel fuel prices have gone up 11.3%, BDZ inform. The fare increase is one of the measures the BDZ management announced at the end of 2011 as part of the reform at the heavily-indebted company. The expected result from it is BGN 2 M a year. The increase of ticket prices to travel on express train with reserved seats became effective on December 1, 2011 – an average of 15% and with an expected result of BGN 0.5 M. The reform announcement was followed by a nationwide, mass strike of Bulgarian railways workers. The strike lasted 23 days and began on November 24. The collective bargaining agreement between the management of Passenger Services at the troubled State-owned Bulgarian Railways BDZ Holding and the syndicate was signed on December 19. The main outcome was that the two parties agreed to keep wages at BDZ at their current level until June 2012, and from then on – introduce a bonus system, based on job performance. Paid leave was scaled down to 20 days, from the previous 22. BDZ workers will receive 8 monthly salaries when going into retirement, instead of 9, as before. The labor unions staged the strike after the early November notice of the management of the heavily indebted state-owned railway company BDZ Holding that it intended to lay off 2 000 workers, and reduce the number of trains in operation by 150 (later scaled down to 138) by January 2012. Meanwhile, nearly 1 000 workers agreed to leave on their own in exchange of 6 monthly salaries. The protest was further marred by a number of accusations of exerted pressure. According to the latest data of Transport Minister, Ivaylo Moskovski, the losses from the strike are estimated at BGN 2.5 M. CVCI, NBGI PRIVATE EQUITY TO BUY BULGARIAN CONFECTIONARY CO Citi Venture Capital International (CVCI) and NBGI Private Equity (NBGI) have signed an agreement for the acquistion of Bulgarian confectionary company Prestige 96 OOD, a leader on the local market. Prestige's existing shareholders will retain a minority stake, the company said. The deal price was not disclosed, but analysts have commented that the Bulgarian company assets are worth EUR 30-40 M. The sale is expected to be concluded in a month after it receives green light from the anti-trust watchdog. "This buy-out is very much part of CVCI's strategy of backing the consumer in emerging markets. It highlights our continued commitment to high quality businesses with strong market positions serving the consumer in Emerging Europe," Sunil Nair, CVCI managing partner and region head for Europe, commented. Prestige 96 was established in 1996 in Veliko Tarnovo. It focuses on the biscuits and wafers segments of the market with a share betwen 30-50%, according to unofficial information. Its most popular brands include Troy, Naya, Mirage, Prestige, Trayana and Roden Krai. This will be CVCI's third transaction in Bulgaria after the buyout of mobile telecom operator Mobiltel in 2002 and the investment into animal health company Huvepharma in 2010. PM GIRLFRIEND UPS STAKE IN BULGARIAN-AMERICAN CREDIT BANK TO 61% An investment firm led by Tsvetelina Borislavova has increased its majority stake in Bulgarian-American Credit Bank (BACB) following the public offering of its shares. The businesswoman's Clever Synergies Investment Fund (CSIF) announced it now owns 61.43% in the bank. Borislavova, known also as the long-time, but no longer live-in girlfriend of the Balkan country's prime minister, Boyko Borisov, has subscribed another 506 620 shares, increasing her stake in BACB from 59.37% to 61.43%. At the beginning of December last year CSIF published a tender offer for acquisition of the shares of the remaining shareholders of BACB. The offered price per share was BGN 4. The public offering of shares was undertaken in accordance with the terms and conditions of the resolution of BACB's general meeting of shareholders held on July 5. Bulgaria's central bank gave the green light for the sale of 49.9% stake in the Bulgarian-American Credit Bank by Allied Irish Banks to Bulgarian private equity fund CSIF in the middle of June. The price of the deal was EUR 100,000. CSIF also have to pay back a loan worth EUR 25 M. The deal brought back into the banking sector Bulgarian tycoon Tsvetelina Borislavova, more publicly known as the woman with whom Prime Minister Boyko Borisov formerly lived out of wedlock. The sizable purchased was acquired through her company Clever Synergies Investment Fund (CSIF). BACB is a publicly listed bank based in Sofia, Bulgaria, focused on small to medium sized enterprises. As at 31 December 2010, BACB reported consolidated total assets of EUR 375.9 M and shareholders' equity of EUR 96.6 M. CSIF is a private investment company founded in 2005; its shareholders are Tsvetelina Borislavova and her foundation Credo Bonum. In December 2010, Tsvetelina Borislavova, believed to be one of the richest Bulgarians, and described in various rankings as one of the most powerful Bulgarian women, formally left the banking sector as the Belgian banking group KBC acquired full control over its subsidiary in Bulgaria CIBank. That was the second major acquisition by the Belgian group in Bulgaria, having agreed earlier that year to buy 70% in insurer DZI, later boosting its stake to 85%. Bulgaria's Economic and Investment Bank (EIBank) changed its name to CIBank in October 2008 without giving reasons for its decision. The name of the Bulgarian-American Credit Bank recently was in the center of scandalous allegations after German investigative journalist Jurgen Roth alleged that BNB Governor Ivan Iskrov put pressure on the Irish bank, Allied Irish Bank (AIB), former owner of the Bulgarian-American Credit Bank (BACB) in Sofia, to sell a 50% stake to Central Cooperative Bank at the price of BGN 1, the equivalent of EUR 0.5. Subsequently, Roth renounced his accusations. 8 DAY STRIKE AT BULGARIAN STATE MINES ENDS Talks between employers and trade unions at Bulgaria's Maritsa Iztok coal mines ended successfully, with the parties agreeing, putting an end to a major strike that started last Sunday. Miners received bonuses, and the Maritsa Iztok company agreed to settle trade disputes with other firms, that allegedly prevented it to pay higher remunerations to its workers. Talks started at 2 pm Saturday to continue through the evening, ending at 5 am Sunday morning. An earlier round of talks a week ago had failed, prompting some 97% of the coal mine workers to go on strike. The Maritsa Iztok mines supply coal to the Maritsa Iztok power plants, major producers of electricity in Bulgaria. This has prompted the country to stop exporting electricity as of Saturday and to put back-up energy capacities into function. The State Agency for National Security (DANS) even went as far as to claim that the strike presented a potential threat to national security.  FRANCE SORRY FOR DEATH OF BULGARIAN SOLDIER IN AFGHANISTAN The embassy of France in Sofia has issued a statement of regret for the Bulgarian member of the Foreign Legion, who was among the 4 French soldiers killed Thursday in Afghanistan. "The embassy deeply deplores the death of four officers of the French forces killed Thursday by an intentional shooting by an Afghani soldier in their position," says the letter. Saturday the Bulgarian National Radio had announced that chief sergeant Svilen Simeonov, 34, was among those killed. "Among the victims, chief sergeant Simeonov, of Bulgarian nationality, fell at the side of his French brothers in arms," recalls the statement. The French embassy clarifies that Simeonov has been since 2002 member of the 2nd foreign regiment of the Spirit of St. Christol, stationed in the south of France. It says it has expressed its condolences to Simeonov's family, and is staying in touch with them. The statement adds that a military service in homage to chief sergeant Simeonov will take place next week in France. PRESIDENT PLEVNELIEV: EU NEEDS BULGARIA EU nations need to continue their work together for the building of a unified and prosperous Europe, said Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev Sunday. Just hours after his official inauguration in office, Plevneliev met EU Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn and Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva. "I am proud and thankful that Commissioners Georgieva and Hahn honored this very special ceremony for Bulgaria," said the new Bulgarian President after the meeting. "Bulgaria is a small country, but it will do everything so that its voice is heard in Europe. The EU needs the best efforts of all of us," stressed Plevneliev. At the meeting the Bulgarian and Austrian representatives in the second Jose Manuel Barroso commission presented Plevneliev with copy of a picture held in the EC's archive showing the signing of the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (the predecessor to the EU). "I thank Commissioners Georgieva and Hahn for giving mi this wonderful picture of the first moments of the creation of a unified Europe," said Plevneliev. He also recalled that preparations are under way for his first official visit abroad, which will be next Wednesday and Thursday in Brussels. "This visit also has a deep symbolic nature. The first visit of the Bulgarian President will be to the place where the European family gets together to take important decisions," said Plevneliev. COMMISSIONER HAHN: FEW CAN BOAST BULGARIA'S SUCCESS The EU needs and supports the building of a stronger Bulgaria, said European Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn upon meeting new Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev. Hahn, an Austrian, together with fellow EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva, a Bulgarian, were the first to officially meet Plevneliev after his inauguration in office Sunday. "I would like to congratulate you for the start of your term, to wish you success and to express my great pleasure and honor to be your first guest," said Hahn. "This is a mighty symbol that shows how much committed Bulgaria is to Europe," said the Regional Policy Commissioner. Hahn also stressed that given its "excellent macroeconomic indicators" Bulgaria has "a very strong moral right to play a more active role in the EU." According to the EU Commissioner, given the crisis situation in the Union, few member states can compare with the economic situation in Bulgaria. Hahn further praised Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov's austerity measures and an alleged "willingness of the Bulgarian people to make necessary sacrifices." He suggested that Plevneliev is in a good position to make Bulgaria's successes more known abroad and thus help assert his country's role. COMMISSIONER GEORGIEVA: BULGARIA CAN COUNT ON EC Bulgarian EU Commissioner on Humanitarian Aid Kristalina Georgieva met and congratulated new Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev on his inauguration day Sunday. "You can always count on the European Commission and me personally. I wish you success and luck. Luck for you means luck for Bulgaria," said Georgieva. Rosen Plevneliev's first international visit as Bulgaria's President will be Wednesday and Thursday, to Brussels. "For Commissioner Johannes Hahn and me it is a great honor to be with you during the first day of your term in office. I am reading this as a signal for the European commitment of Bulgaria," said Commissioner Georgieva. She added that she is confident in Plevneliev's European values and his conviction that integration is the way to make Bulgaria and Europe stronger. COMMISSONERS GEORGIEVA, HAHN HONOR NEW BULGARIAN PRESIDENT European Commissioners Kristalina Georgieva and Johannes Hahn are holding a meeting with Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev just hours after his inauguration Sunday. The EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner and Regional Policy Commissioner presented Plevneliev a copy of a picture held in the EC's archive showing the signing of the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (the predecessor to the EU). A press conference is scheduled after the end of the meeting between the new Bulgarian President and the Bulgarian and Austrian representatives in the second Jose Manuel Barroso commission. This is Rosen Plevneliev's first official meeting since entering into his first 5-year term as Bulgaria's President this Sunday. The inauguration ceremony included speeches by predecessor Georgi Parvanov, as well as by Plevneliev himself, and a transferral of power at the Presidency building in Sofia. CROATIA VOTES IN EU ACCESSION REFERENDUM Croatian citizens are voting on a referendum whether to accept or decline EU membership, after Croatia officially received invitation to join December 2011. The referendum will be valid only if 50% of Croatia's 4.5 M voters cast a ballot. Turnout is expected to be at 60%, with some 60% expected to vote "for", according to opinion polls. A recent survey has shown the percentage of opposers to EU accession to have shrunk from 36% to 31% for the past three months. Thursday the Croatian Parliament had voted almost unanimously a resolution declaring EU membership a strategic priority for the country. The accession treaty for Hungary was signed at the European Council last December and mandates that if it is ratified by all parties, Croatia will become an EU member in July 2013. PRESIDENT PARVANOV: PRESIDENT PLEVNELIEV MUST WORK FOR JUSTICE Outgoing Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov gave his farewell speech at the handing down ceremony Sunday, after serving two terms in office. "In the past Bulgaria has had strong, pro-active, working presidents. It is to the credit of Presidents Zhelyu Zhelev and Petar Stoyanov credit that they contributed to the prestige of the institution. I hope that President Plevneliev will continue this tradition," said Parvanov. In his speech, the outgoing President stressed the need for the Bulgarian President to embody tolerance, dialogue and national unity. "Bulgarian presidents, I included, have worked hard to overcome the deep divisions that have plagued Bulgarian societies," recalled Parvanov. "Unity, however, does not mean uniformity of political thinking. One-party domination of Bulgarian political life cannot be good for the country," said he. "President Plevneliev must work to create a balance of powers and be keen on voicing his position, in harmony with the interests of the people," added Parvanov. The former Bulgarian Socialist Party leader advised his successor as Bulgaria's President to take into account the views of both ruling parties and opposition. "Bulgaria's President must work hard to entrench a new political culture pitted against hatred, aggression, and demonization of political opponents," said Parvanov. PARVANOV: DURING MY TERMS, BULGARIA ESTABLISHED ITSELF GLOBALLY There was a strong foreign policy moment in the farewell speech of outgoing Bulgarian President Georgi Plevneliev, who finishes Sunday two 5-year terms. "The Bulgarian President represents the country in foreign relations. I am happy that for the 10 years of my office, our country has won for itself an unprecedentedly good position," said Parvanov at the hand-down ceremony with his successor Rosen Plevneliev. The outgoing president noted the 2007 accession of Bulgaria to the EU, as well as the establishing of deep, friendly and actively cooperative relations with both the USA and Russia, which according to him were not present back in 2001, when he was first elected. "Bulgaria has made good and strong friends not only with those countries, but also in East Asia, Latin America and the Arab World," recalled the Bulgarian President. "I am happy that President Plevneliev has emphasized so much the notion of continuity in his presidency vows," said Parvanov, adding that he hopes his successor to continue this broad foreign policy. He clarified that he hoped for Plevneliev to work for what he described as "an economization of foreign policy," in which trade and investments will play an ever more central role. NEW BULGARIAN PRESIDENT PLEVNELIEV: BULGARIAN UNITY HAS DEEP ROOTS Rosen Plevneliev gave his first speech as Bulgaria's President at an official inauguration ceremony at the Unknown Soldier monument Sunday. "Bulgarians are a people with deep, strong roots. In the past, we have been united at times when everyone of us was looking to one direction, one goal," said Plevneliev. He vowed to develop a comprehensive and thorough program for Bulgaria's development, based on a broad public debate. "I will be modern Bulgaria's pragmatic president," stated Plevneliev, saying he will work not only for economic growth, but also for justice, a balanced regional development, education and culture. After giving their speeches, Rosen Plevneliev and outgoing Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov headed to the St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral. Then, Plevneliev with VP Margarita Popova were welcomed by Parvanov and VP Angel Marin at the Presidency Building, where they are holding private meetings. The end of the meetings will have Plevneliev and Popova officially seeing off Parvanov and Marin from their erstwhile office. BULGARIA FIRST COUPLE, VP LEAVE OFFICE CHEERED BY CITIZENS Bulgaria's outgoing President Georgi Parvanov, his wife Zorka Parvanova, and his VP Angel Marin have now officially left the Presidency Building in downtown Sofia. This is the last part of the Sunday inauguration ceremony for new Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev and aide Margarita Popova. Parvanov and Plevneliev gave speeches at the Unknown Warrior monument in Sofia, went to the St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral, upon which they headed to the Presidency to hand down the office. Upon leaving, President Parvanov was cheered by citizens assembled in front of the building, who handed him flowers. "My last words as President will be words of thankfulness and gratitude for all those who understood and supported me. The judgement of history is forthcoming," said Parvanov. Plevneliev's first meetings as President of Bulgaria will be with EU Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn and EU Aid Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva Sunday afternoon. NEW BULGARIAN PRESIDENT ALLUDES TO PARTY ALLEGIANCE Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev has inadvertently insinuated his commitment to ruling GERB party at his second public appearance since assuming office Sunday. Plevneliev's first official meeting was with EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva and Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn. "This first meeting of mine is of a symbolic nature, for the commitment I took is for the European development of Bulgaria," said the President after the meeting. The last phrase is a direct, though perhaps non-intentional, reference to Bulgaria's ruling party, GERB, an acronym meaning Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria. It was GERB who nominated Rosen Plevneliev to run for president in the fall of 2011. Until then Plevneliev was Minister of Regional Development in GERB leader and Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov's cabinet. According to the Bulgarian Constitution, the President is a non-partisan figure who has to exemplify the unity of the nation. PES CHAIR STANISHEV: I HOPE NEW BULGARIAN PRESIDENT WILL BE INDEPENDENT Bulgaria's new President Rosen Plevneliev needs to be an independent figure to ensure a proper balance of powers in the country, said PES and Bulgarian Socialist Party leader Sergey Stanishev. Sunday Plevneliev was officially inaugurated in his five year term in office as Bulgaria's President at a solemn ceremony in capital Sofia. Plevneliev, who swore in as President in front of Bulgaria's Parliament Thursday, was nominated in fall presidential elections by ruling center-right GERB party. "I am pleased by Plevneliev's commitment to be a non-partisan president, and I strongly hope that he will follow that up in practice," said the socialist leader in an interview for bTV. At the same time, Plevneliev himself inadvertently let out an unintentional reference to an allegiance to GERB in a statement right after assuming office. In the interview, Stanishev criticized the government of PM Boyko Borisov for mismanaging Bulgaria's finances and disregarding democratic procedures. "Never has the Bulgarian Parliament been held in such a low esteem by the executive and perhaps President Plevneliev can contribute to mending that lamentable situation," said Stanishev. The PES and BSP leader also expressed hopes that outgoing Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov will shortly clarify his precise plans for returning to the Bulgarian Socialist Party. Parvanov chaired the Socialists 1997-2001, before being elected Bulgaria's President for the first time, to be succeeded by Stanishev. Now sources close to Parvanov have it that he is considering reclaiming the leadership position of BSP at a party congress this spring. Sources from the Socialist Party report that Stanishev and Parvanov could officially meet at the party headquarters February 4, when Parvanov might also reveal his plans for the future. WHO IS WHO: BULGARIA'S NEW PRESIDENT ROSEN PLEVNELIEV Rosen Plevneliev, former Bulgarian Regional Development Minister, was elected President on the ticket of the ruling, center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria part (GERB) on October 30 2011. Biography Rosen Plevneliev was born in the southern Bulgarian town of Gotse Delchev in 1964. He graduated from the Sofia Technical University with an engineering degree in 1989. In 1990, he founded Iris International, the first Bulgarian construction firm to get an ISO 9001 certificate. Between 1991 and 1998, Plevneliev worked in Germany as the co-owner of a construction firm that worked as a subcontractor for Lindner, at the Lindner headquarters in Germany. In 1998, he became the founder and manager of the Bulgarian construction companies that are part of the Lindner Bulgaria group. Upon returning to Bulgaria, he became the CEO of Lindner Immobilien Management Bulgaria Jsc. Plevneliev was also the manager of Business Park Sofia, which was constructed under his supervision in Sofia's Mladost 4 quarter, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria (CEIBG). In June 2009, Pleneliev was presented as part of the economic policy team of the GERB party. In July 2009, he was appointed Bulgaria's Minister of Regional Development and Public Works in the government of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov. In 2010-2011, Plevneliev emerged as the most popular minister in the Borisov Cabinet eventually surpassing Borisov himself in public rating. This has been seen primarily as the result of his activeness with respect to Bulgaria's long-delayed highway and road infrastructure projects. On September 4, Rosen Plevneliev was nominated as the candidate for President of the Republic of Bulgaria of the ruling center-right party GERB to run in the October 23 2011 presidential elections. In the runoff that took place on October 30, Plevneliev and his running mate, former Justice Minister Margarita Popova, defeated oppositional Bulgarian Socialist Party runner Ivaylo Kalfin and his running mate, Stefan Danailov, gathering 52.58% of the votes. Public Service Record 2009-2011 – Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Electoral Record Rosen Plevneliev had never run for an elected office before. WHO IS WHO: BULGARIA'S NEW VICE PRESIDENT MARGARITA POPOVA Former Justice Minister Margarita Popova was nominated by the ruling centrist-right party GERB to run for Vice President of Bulgaria in the elections that took place on October 23 2011. In the runoff that took place on October 30, GERB runner Rosen Plevneliev and his running mate, Margarita Popova, defeated oppositional Bulgarian Socialist Party runner Ivaylo Kalfin and his running ymate, Stefan Danailov, gathering 52.58% of the votes. Biography Margarita Popova was born in Sofia in 1956. She earned a degree in law and Bulgarian language from Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski". Popova began working as a prosecutor in 1990 as a junior prosecutor in the town of Pirdop. In 1991, she became the regional prosecutor of Svoge. In 1996-2004, she was the head of the Sofia District Prosecutor's Office. In 2004, she was removed by the former Chief Prosecutor, Nikola Filchev, and went on to become a professor at the National Justice Institute teaching young prosecutors. In September 2006, the new Chief Prosecutor, Boris Velchev, appointed Popova as his spokesperson. She held the status of a member of the Sofia District Prosecutor's Office delegated to the Supreme Prosecutor's Office of Cassation. In September 2008, Popova was put in charge of the newly-created special unit for investigating frauds with EU funds at the Supreme Prosecutor's Office of Cassation. In July 2009, she was appointed Minister of Justice in the government of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and the GERB party. In 2010-2011, Popova has received some praise from EU officials for her work on reforming the Bulgarian judiciary. She is also seen as an intra-government opponent to Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov, who is known for blaming the Bulgarian judiciary for problems with the rule of law in the country. On September 4, 2011, Popova was nominated as the candidate for Vice President of the Republic of Bulgaria of the ruling center-right party GERB to run with her running mate Rosen Plevneliev in the October 23, 2011, presidential elections. Public Service Record 1990-1991 – Junior Prosecutor in Pirdop 1991-1995 – Regional Prosecutor of Svoge 1996-2004 – Head of the Sofia District Prosecutor's Office 2006-2009 – Spokesperson of Chief Prosecutor Boris Velchev and Bulgaria's Supreme Prosecutor's Office of Cassation 2008-2009 – Head of the Supreme Prosecutor's Office of Cassation unit for investigating EU funds fraud. 2009-2011 – Minister of Justice Electoral Record Margarita Popova had never ran for elected office before. 4 BULGARIANS KILLED, DOZENS INJURED IN TURKEY BUS CRASH Four Bulgarian citizens have perished, and 27 fellow passengers have been wounded when a bus slid off the icy road near the Turkish-Bulgarian border at Derekoy and Malko Tarnovo. According to Turkish sources, the four (one in his sixties, two in their fifties, as well as a 10-year-old boy) victims of the crash have Bulgarian citizenship, some of them dual Turkish. 10 of the 27 injured people also are Bulgarian citizens, according to information confirmed by the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to Turkish police the driver of the bus lost control over the vehicle because of the ice on the road, which led to the bus falling down a 20-meter slope out of the road. All of the injured have been transported to the nearby Kirklareli hospital, with the more gravely injured moved to the Edirne medical center. Just two of them have been kept for treatment as of Sunday evening, with the rest being already released. Bulgarian consular authorities in Edirne are in full track of the events and have contacted the crash survivors. MIDDLE AGED BULGARIANS FACE SHOCKING RETIREMENT PROSPECTS A demographic and economic slump may force today's actively working Bulgarians to retire at the age of 70 and not at all comfortably at that, an expert has warned. "Nowadays Bulgarians aged between 30 and 40 exceed 1 million. When they become old enough to retire, their pensions should be paid by today's teenagers, whose number is two time lower. How will the pension system work then if even now, with a fairly high number of active workers it is struggling and out of breath?," Ivan Neykov, former Social Minister in the reformist right-wing cabinet of Ivan Kostov (1996-2001), told bTV channel this week. The retirement contributions of the currently actively working Bulgarians are funnelled into paying pensions and health services, rather than being stashed away to be used when today's middle-aged Bulgarians grow old. According to Neykov the fallout of the demographic slump in the 90s will be felt most acutely about 2035. "When today's 30-40-year-olds become grandparents they will account for more than half the population and the pension system will be able to function only if the retirement age rises dramatically," he added. Surveys about Bulgaria's gloomy demographics have been in abundance over the last two decades. Recently however it emerged that the youngest member of the European Union has the most grey-haired demographic picture not only in the bloc, but in the whole world. The headlong fall in Bulgaria's demography spell troubled times for the country in economic terms. The number of working Bulgarians is currently by one third below the number of pensioners, who steadily exceed the number of babies born. The burden on the social security system is getting heavier, experts say, but fail to provide solutions to the problems that this will trigger. The state has forced people to retire a few years later, but this will hardly make up for the shortage of young workers. The social security system, in its turn, is already failing to take good care of the increasing numbers of pensioners, dooming the majority of them to miserable living and the mercy of their children. The dynamics in Bulgaria's demography has been the same for quite some time already, but the figures are hardly debated as the average employee is just scrambling to earn a living amid the debris of a free falling economy. BULGARIAN 'COSTA CONCORDIA' CREW MEMBER RESCUED 500 A member of the crew of the the Costa Concordia cruise liner, which capsized off the coast of Tuscany in Italy last Saturday, has rescued over 500 passengers. "I did six runs with a lifeboat which holds 150 people. It was full the first three times, but the next runs were lighter because most passengers were already on the shore. This was not a tragedy; we all were just doing our jobs," the Bulgarian-born first engineer of the liner, Petar Petrov, says, cited by the Bulgarian news agency "Focus." Petrov further informs he was taking a shower when he felt a shock. Immediately after that he followed rules and regulations on how to act in case of an incident and went to the command board. "After I checked the diesel generator, I realized that things were turning critical – the ship leaned on one side; I saw water coming through the entrance of the machine room and flooding deck 0. I was pinned to the wall by a crowd of passengers trying to reach the lifeboats after sensing the ship was sinking," the man explained. According to official reports of the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry, eight Bulgarian citizens, were on board of the Costa Concordia cruise ship. Donka Todorova, a Bulgarian woman who lives in Italy, was the only passenger; the other seven were male members of the crew. 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. The captain of the ship was arrested and charged with the murder of more than one person. The death toll reached 6 on Monday. Meanwhile, the Head of the Varna-based company Komak, which had worked for years with the Italian Costa, informed that another 2-3 Bulgarian women were likely to have been working on the liner as maids. They have been sent there through a company from Ruse in 2007, before Bulgaria's joining of the EU. The company was later closed, but the Bulgarians stayed there and signed contracts directly with the Italian owners. NAKED UKRAINIANS RALLY IN FRONT OF BULGARIA'S PARLIAMENT Three members of the provocative Ukrainian female rights activists FEMEN stirred media interest big time by protesting domestic violence against women naked in front of Bulgaria's parliament. Almost totally naked, but armed with boxing gloves and red paint marks on their faces to imitate blood, the Ukrainian girls became rather violent when surrounded by – predominantly male – members of the press. As they started to deal blows left and right, the policemen guarding the region interpreted rightly their symbolic aggression and did not resort to arrests.  The Ukrainans, who attracted global renown by staging intelligent and controversial protest actions while almost naked, say they have data that 1 in 4 Bulgarian women has been subjected to violence at home.At the same time, the first ever guilty verdict for domestic violence in Bulgaria has been issued as late as end of 2011, argue FEMEN. The Ukraine activists also state they have good reasons to believe that the number of Bulgarians who have become victims of human trafficking is much larger than officially reported.  FEMEN specifically presses for urgent and adequate amendments to the Bulgarian Criminal Code in the fields of violence against women and children, a just and equitable judiciary, as well as more severe and effective sentences for proven offenders.The organization staged the event in Sofia under the motto: "Their God is a Woman, their Mission is Protest, their Weapon are their Breasts!" SKIERS, ENVIRONMENTALISTS PROTEST EXPANSION OF BULGARIA SKI AREA Skiers, snowboarders, hikers and environmentalists staged a new protest on the Vitosha Mountain nearby Bulgarian capital Sofia against proposed revisions of the country's Forestry Act. The tabled amendments to the Law on Forests, they argue, will make it much more easier for investors to build new structures and expand old ones, even in protected areas, and without a competition run by the state. Interviewed by the Bulgarian National Radio Sunday, protesters said they wanted to freeze the amendments, and show that people can enjoy a meaningful interaction with nature without overdevelopment and with respect to protected areas. The controversy erupted after end of 2011 the Vitosha Ski company, which operates facilities on the mountain, announced it will not open a ski season this winter and will not run ski lifts and gondolas. The grounds given by Vitosha Ski was that the state allegedly interfered with its activities, by not issuing it permits for development of the skiing area in Vitosha. This resulted in the said amendments being swiftly developed and adopted by the Bulgarian cabinet between Christmas and New Year's 2011, and then approved by a parliamentary committee this week. Wednesday thousands marched in Sofia to protest against the legislative amendment. HEAVY WEEKEND SNOW GRIPS BULGARIA Eleven Bulgarian regions are under code yellow Saturday, the National Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) announced. The warning is issued over the forecast of heavy snow and ice. Code yellow means potentially dangerous weather, where the forecast is not for unusual meteorological events, but requires people to exercise caution. The regions under code yellow are Smolyan, Kardzhali, Yambol, Haskovo, Sliven, Burgas, Targovishte, Razgrad, Shumen, Varna and Dobrich. At many places the snowfall will be accompanied by wind gusts. Snow is falling in the capital Sofia, and traffic is impeded in many locations, including central boulevards and streets. The City Hall's services have cleaned three times already the main roads and those used by public transportation, which is running without significant delays. In the Region of Sofia, the "Hemus" highway, connecting Sofia and the Black Sea city of Varna, will be periodically closed for traffic in order to clean the road. The Luylin highway will be closed as well for the same reason. The road surfaces on "Trakia," "Hemus," and "Maritsa" highways in southern Bulgaria are wet. Rain is reported in northwestern Bulgaria. Tractor-trailers are banned in mountain passes, while all vehicles traveling there are required to have tire chains. The Road Infrastructure Agency and traffic police are advising drivers to be prepared for winter conditions, including icy roads and snow drifts, use caution and avoid travel unless absolutely necessary. SNOW BLOCKADES DOWNTOWN SOFIA, AIRPORT REPORTS DELAYS The area around the Alexander Nevsky cathedral in downtown Sofia is closed for traffic and parking Saturday, according to the City Hall. The measure was triggered by the need to remove heavy snow masses. Accumulations and closures are also reported near the National "Ivan Vazov" Theater and the Presidential office. Over 200 snowplows are cleaning the capital's streets since 3 am Saturday when the first snowflakes arrived. The Inspectorate at the City Hall appeals to Sofia residents to clean sidewalks in front of their homes and warns it will begin checks Saturday afternoon. The airport authority at Sofia International reports that all departing flights are delayed with about an hour to an hour and a half. Runways are being cleaned round-the-clock. Arrivals from Moscow, Sankt Petersburg, Athens, and Istanbul are also late over inclement weather at these locations. About 15 000 customers of the Power Utility CEZ, serving western and southwestern Bulgaria, are without electricity, the company announces. They are mainly in the Sofia Region, the Regions of Vidin and Lovech, and in the southern towns of Sandanski and Gotse Delchev. Several mountain cabins in the National Park Vitosha Mountain near Sofia are also experiencing power outages. In Sofia, 14 substations are without electrical power, which does not affect significantly the energy system, according to information of the Interior Ministry. The overall situation in the country now is normal and there is no major damage to the electrical network. The wet snow causes trees and branches to fall on power lines. CEZ assure that emergency teams have been sent to all locations where damage is reported. 3.5 EARTHQUAKE SHAKES BULGARIA'S RAZLOG A mild earthquake was felt in the first hour of Saturday in the town of Razlog, near the winter resort of Bansko in Bulgaria's Pirin Mountain in southern Bulgaria. The quake measured 3.5 on the Richter scale and was registered at 0:58 a.m., the National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and Geography at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) said in statement. The tremor was felt in Razlog, even on lower floors of buildings, and was accompanied by a strong roar and a horizontal shock. There are no reports of damages, injuries or panic among the town's residents. BULGARIA HONORS MIDWIFE DAY With a variety of colorful rituals, Bulgaria marks the day of midwives on Saturday, January 21, or the so-called Babin Den. Midwife Day or in Bulgarian Babin Den, is a purely Bulgarian holiday. The name Babin Den comes from the Bulgarian word "baba", which means old woman or grandmother because in the past old women have been the village midwives, helping the younger ones to give birth. (Den means day in Bulgarian.) Babin Den is a day to show respect and gratitude to those, who have helped women become mothers. The celebration has pagan roots, but has remained a significant holiday all through Bulgarian history, especially during the Bulgarian Renaissance. On Babin Den, at dawn, mothers of toddlers and babies go to the village fountain to get fresh water. They take |
see photo[Message clipped] View entire message
