EU Membership Does not Change Bulgaria

Die Presse
Standart daily/Standart newspaper
January 3, 2008

After a whole year as a member of the European Union, corruption and crime still remain Bulgaria's worst sins. In neighboring Romania, which is also a one-year member of the Union, reigns an economic crisis, and the reforms in its legislation are being constantly undermined. The attitude of skepticism towards these two Balkan countries, which were ready to become part of the European community neither economically, nor politically dominated even before they have acceded. Now, the truthfulness of all the criticism can be perceived even better. Indeed, their economies marked an unprecedented progress, but despite the threats that sanctions may as well be applied, reforms are continuing to limp along. The battle against crime in Bulgaria has not yet had much success. The settling of old mafia scores and the contracted murder cases remain unsolved. Up to this moment, Bulgaria has not satisfied even one criterion for EU membership. In its report from June 2007, the European Commission reproached both Bulgaria and Romania for the weak legal punishment of crimes that have to do with corruption or irresponsible discharging from duty of key state administration figures. Nevertheless, the Commission gave up its intentions to impose sanctions such as, for example, cuts in the EU subsidies. "The European Commission closed its eyes for all the disadvantages and did a doubtful service to Bulgaria," Bavarian Minister of European Affairs Emilia Muller said with disappointment. But the possibilities for application of sanctions on the part of the EU to both Bulgaria and Romania are limited. Although the Balkan duo already did receive a certain portion of EU funds, their absorption produced very little effect. It was both countries' economies and ordinary citizens that were mostly affected by the accession. According to the optimistic views, the large number of public scandals could be evaluated rather positively than negatively, because this means that the institutions are really beginning to function fast. This is the view the expert on corruption Emil Tsekov from the Center for the Study of Democracy adopts. And there is yet another advantage that he sees: the suspension from power of corrupt representatives of the Bulgarian state administration and politicians, clearly is the result of Bulgaria's accession to the EU.