Protests in Bulgaria

In February protests against the corruption and low living standards during the rule of the previous government of GERB were launched the whole country.

Prime Minister Boiko Borisov and his government were forced to resign in the face of a wave of protest cover. The government resigned, and the elections were made available.

So in Bulgaria, the poorest country in the European Union began the changes. In short, it was the thing which the protesters wanted.

Demanded changes were in the form of administration of the State and the desire to see new faces in politics.

Thousands took to the streets, waiting for the politicians that succeeded to go out from Communist thinking and could offer a good future.

After the elections, the Bulgarian Socialist Party formed the government.

The first act was to table the nomination of Delyan Peevski, media owner and controversial MP for the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, to be the new head of the State Agency for National Security.

While the people were waiting for changes, what did politics do? Known, worn, rotten smell, started, and tried to walk out of the way.

This understanding of politics can survive due to the continuous still in the hands of the same people.

However, people hope not forever, one day running out and dumped in the street, understanding that the right to life doesn’t come  itself, can be taken …

12:15 | 0 коментара |

Bulgarians protest as media mogul named to head state security

Thousands of Bulgarians protested in central Sofia on Friday against parliament’s election of a media mogul once accused of corruption to oversee the state security agency service.

Delyan Peevski, a lawmaker representing a small ethnic Turkish political party, was the only candidate for the job, which includes supervising police units fighting organised crime.

Mr Peevski, who runs Bulgaria’s biggest newspaper and television group, was investigated for alleged corruption while serving as a deputy minister in a previous government, but was reinstated after the charges were dropped. He denied wrongdoing.

“Out, out!”, and “Resign!” shouted the mainly young and middle-class protesters. Some waved Bulgarian flags and placards saying “Dans” – the agency initials – topped with a picture of an Ottoman-era fez, a reference to Mr Peevski’s leading role in the Movement for Rights and Freedoms. Similar protests were reported in 15 other cities.

Mr Peevski was nominated by premier Plamen Oresharski who heads a weak coalition between the socialist party and the MRF. He was elected unopposed and without any debate after the centre-right Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria (Gerb) party walked out of parliament in protest.

The protest was the first indication of popular discontent with a new government that took office last month after an inconclusive general election. The previous Gerb-led administration under premier Boyko Borisov resigned in February after violent protests prompted by stagnant growth and wages, the lowest in the EU, eroded by rapidly rising heating bills.

“There’s been a significant shift in attitudes, Bulgarians have become much less tolerant of their politicians,” said Ognian Shentov, head of the Centre for the Study of Democracy, a Sofia think-tank.

The demonstrations also overshadowed celebrations for the opening of a €275m new bridge across the Danube to Romania, marking the largest infrastructure project completed in Bulgaria in the past 20 years.

President Rosen Plevneliev cancelled his participation in the ceremony in protest against Mr Peevski’s election. He urged parliament to retract Friday’s decision, saying: “It will have long-term negative consequences for Bulgaria,” including the possibility of international isolation.

A Bulgarian and a Romanian construction worker cut the ribbon to open the rail and road bridge linking the port of Vidin in northwest Bulgaria with Calafat in Romania, replacing a ferry crossing. About 100,000 cars and trucks a year are expected to use the bridge, the second between the two EU neighbours.

By Theodor Troev in Sofia and Kerin Hope in Athens

http://www.ft.com

13:44 | 0 коментара |

Bulgaria names media magnate as security chief, causing furore

Legislators from the ruling Socialists and the allied ethnic Turkish MRF party endorsed Delyan Peevski, also an MRF deputy, by a simple majority without debate, hours after legal changes stripping the president of his power to appoint heads of secret services took effect.

Political analysts said Peevski's appointment was another example of subjecting Bulgarian state institutions to private interests and could worsen the negative international reputation of the European Union's poorest country.

"I am shocked. This is the most scandalous appointment of a person who is known for connections to certain business groups," said Sofia University political analyst Rumiana Kolarova.

Post-communist governments in Bulgaria have failed to cut mutually advantageous links between politicians and businessmen, deterring foreign investment and keeping the Balkan country under strict EU monitoring and outside its passport-free travel Schengen zone ever since its 2007 admission to the bloc.

President Rosen Plevneliev cancelled his participation in a ceremony opening a new bridge to Romania on Friday and called an extraordinary sitting of the national security council next week to discuss Peevski's appointment, signalling his disapproval.

Some leaders of the mass protests that toppled the previous government in February left a meeting with Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski and called for new demonstrations, calling the appointment "a mockery" of their demands for more transparency.

Oresharski defended parliament's decision, saying Bulgaria needed to take serious steps to stop organised crime and smuggling and Peevski was best suited for the job - although he lacks direct experience in the field.

"Peevski was chosen because he is not part of the system and we deliberately looked for such an external specialist so that he can restructure it," Oresharski told reporters.

In 2007, Peevski was sacked as a deputy minister of the then-Socialist-led administration in a corruption scandal. But the investigation against him was later dropped and he was reinstated in the post.

Bulgarian media said Peevski stood behind a powerful network of national newspapers and television channels owned by his mother and which had been previously criticised for concentrating media ownership in the hands of a few.

The opposition centre-right GERB party demanded new elections, saying parliament's decision was "ridiculous" and that it would undermine the trust of Western security services with which Sofia cooperates.

Plevneliev signed the legislation removing the power of his office to appoint security chiefs, saying putting this in parliament's hands would ensure more debate and transparency when choosing such senior officials.

By Tsvetelia Tsolova I  Reuters

 

7:48 | 0 коментара |

Gezi Park...

The size of the image may be always different, according to it, whether we look at inside or outside of it. 
The power of Turkey in the world went out during the reign of two leaders. One of these leaders is Turgut Ozal and the other one is Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 
When T. Ozal managed the state I was in the former Soviet Unions. I could see and understand that Turkey is a power there. In my opinion, to be powerful and to make someone feel the power is different things. The same reflection of Turkey appeared during the management of Recep T. Erdogan.
Turkey to the previous leaders was huge but its power was gruff. Still outside, this time to look at the Balkans, Turkey put aside the delicate balances in the power of the country's external painting I see . The rebellion started in the Gezi Park Ïstanbul is only a manifestation of the savings so far. World 'disproportionate force' was used he says. Do not have to be an expert to make this determination. Naturally, the 'disproportionate' use 'disproportionate response' brings ... 
As says Erdogan , among these activists aren’t there “ marginalized groups “ and foreign intelligent people who burn and destroy the police vehicles? Of course, there are. It will be strange if there aren’t ...
Unfortunately, if you start to shake the paper spray and batons to these people who protest peaceful against the cutting of the trees in the park, you will be marginalized, too. Moreover, Erdogan is expected to stand savvy, street spillages 'for three of the five marauders' he said, and continued to challenge. A great and powerful leader of the country, no matter which segment of society that were against the erect, not opt for common sense ...

7:42 | 0 коментара |