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Claire Daly
The monitoring imposed on Bulgaria under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism has been hastily abandoned. This was announced by the Vice-President of the European Commission, Vera Yourova, at the beginning of the debate on the rule of law in the European Parliament in Brussels. Daniel Freund MEP said EU money should be spent carefully in Bulgaria as it is “the black caviar of greedy oligarchs”.
The debate, which started late, was accompanied by technical problems: at first the sound often disappeared, the address of the European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders was not heard at all and the words of the MEP Juan Fernando López Aguilar, rapporteur for the disputed resolution today. he only heard “police brutality and violence against minorities”, without it being entirely clear whether it was Bulgaria.
“A newspaper drew the highlights of the debate. You can see a picture here.
21:56
With summaries of attempts at dialogue, freedom of expression and technical problems with the sound, the debate ended without a single speech, which MEP Radan Kanev said he could not do because he did not receive the floor, so he sent it to all companions. in the European Parliament and sent it to the Register. Dnevnik reprinted it from Kanev’s Facebook profile:
“As I did not have the floor in this debate, I am writing to you in accordance with Rule 171 (11) of our Rules of Procedure. I am specifically addressing my colleagues in the EPP to carefully consider the situation in Bulgaria and the importance of the debate, not only for Bulgarian citizens and European taxpayers, but also for the future of the EU.
This debate could easily turn into a pre-election guerrilla war. To avoid this risk, I urge you to focus on the real problem and look at it in the context of the other two great debates we are having today: the Rule of Law Mechanism and the Conditionality Clause (which links European funds to the Rule of law). ).
The problem is simple, but also very serious: the mafia has taken over the judiciary and the media in one Member State. It may or may not support the Bulgarian government. Sometimes these are complex political decisions. If you trust the government, it can help you get rid of your dangerous addictions – a futile but noble endeavor. But denying the truth is not a choice, nor is it inaction when the rule of law is trampled on in a European country. It is not a choice, it is a complicity. “
21:50
“People who demonstrate European values deserve our solidarity in Europe,” said German Minister for European Affairs Michael Roth. He commented on the view that the debate would affect his country personally, expressed in the room by Novakov. He added that discussions can be problematic, but important. “I say this as a man in whose country a man of Jewish faith was attacked.” Such discussions should not be seen as a problem for the state, Roth said.
The minister, whose country holds the presidency of the Council of the EU, assured that “the Council will not remain silent” around the November debates.
Earlier, the EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders recalled that five member states, including Bulgaria, will be discussed again in alphabetical order. “Many words, many documents, but no writing. I assure you that we will use all the tools available in Bulgaria.”
21:42
We will continue working on the verification and monitoring mechanism, because this mechanism does not mean that boxes can be checked. We want to see tangible results and a lasting positive effect on the judiciary and the fight against crime and organized crime in Bulgaria, Vera Yourova said at the end of the debate.
We will keep the mechanism, because the Bulgarian people show considerable interest in continuing the mechanism, because the Bulgarians do not trust and they sent us the message: keep an eye on what is happening in Bulgaria. It is important to follow the path traveled. However, the situation also requires fruitful cooperation with the Bulgarian authorities, the commission’s vice chairman continued. “The EPPO will start to function soon, and Bulgaria was one of the countries that actively participated in its formation. The EPPO will be an active contribution of the EU to the fight against European funds.”
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EU Commissioner Vera Yourova
21:38
“Who is stopping people from protesting in Bulgaria? Every day for the last three months we have evidence to the contrary,” said Andrey Novakov of the EPP.
He called the accusations made in the hall that children are being gassed in Bulgaria excessive and demanded that there be no partisanship in parliamentary debates. “We will get better when we stop solving problems and start solving them ourselves. Long live Bulgaria,” added Novakov.
21:36
From Elena Yoncheva’s statement it was only heard that “the pain of Bulgaria today is the pain of the entire European Union.”
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Elena Yoncheva
21:34
Gwendolyn Delbos-Corfield of the Greens has demanded that the monitoring of SMEs in Bulgaria be continued because it is “the only mechanism to fight corruption” and the country receives money, although reports report irregularities.
21:32
“This is not a debate against Bulgaria. This resolution can be successful if it is based on facts and not ideological contradictions,” said Ilhan Kyuchyuk of MRF. He advocated the MRF thesis that the electoral campaign in Bulgaria can only be conducted in Bulgarian. He gave the chairman of the PPE group, Weber, an example that if you decide to run for office in Bulgaria, you have two options: pay a fine speaking English or German, or “campaign without speaking.”
Tensions arose between Kyuchyuk and Djambazki as the latter was accused of not talking about “IMRO coffers and golden passports”, probably due to revelations about a plan to grant citizenship in Bulgaria. Djambazki reacted angrily and demanded that Kyuchyuk be punished.
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Ilhan Kyuchyuk
21:30
Our concern is who owns the Bulgarian media, there are also close links between the media and politicians. We know of journalists who have been victims of this. The Commission must use all tools to continue this dialogue, said Catherine Barley of Socialists & Democrats.
“Do not repeat these mistakes. We have been here 10 years and we do not see progress with Hungary,” he said.
21:28
“Very harsh words that cannot be left without comment. This parliament must not be exploited by one party. We, as Democrats, support the rule of law,” explained EPP MEP Andrei Kovachev, in response to the Daily.
21:26
The Bulgarian authorities are doing what they know and are “laughing at you,” said Claire Daly, who caused a sensation with her harsh statements about the country. Chancellor Angela Merkel likes (Prime Minister) Boyko Borissov, and EPP President Donald Tusk would not give the floor to the only “deputy of the group’s opposition” (he was probably referring to Radan Kanev, also from the PPE, whom he did not name). “Don’t you think that Bulgarians deserve elections?” He asked, comparing the vampire elite, who he said benefited from European support.
21:12
And after the break there is a problem with the sound while Angel Djambazki is speaking.
21:06
A 10 minute technical break was announced for sound issues.
21:05
Greens MEP Daniel Freund commented on his visit to Bulgaria to meet with various political forces and monitor the protests: “I was in Sofia, I heard that the abuses are worrying, that European financial aid is making things worse,” he said. He noted that dubious people are buying “independent media, and what are we doing in the EU? What do Bulgarians see? Another report on the rule of law in the EU.” Despite the statements of the president of the EPP, Donald Tusk, “what the Bulgarian people see now are not decisive actions”.
Freund expressed concern that EU money was only feeding the “black caviar of greedy oligarchs.”
21:01
Renew Europe MEP Ramona Strugariu commented on Bulgaria, saying that certain actors, as well as European aid, “are defending a very well-established network of people who are abusing democracy.” “Our voice must make clear the distinction between a hostage country and a free nation.”
20:53
“The European Commission is aware of the protests in Bulgaria and we are closely monitoring the situation. Let me emphasize from the beginning something very important: the Commission supports the right to protest peacefully. Peaceful protests are a fundamental right in all democracies and must be fully respected. that citizens demonstrate the importance of an independent and efficient judiciary, as well as good governance, “said EU Commissioner Vera Yourova at the beginning.
We are also aware of Prime Minister Borissov’s statement on a possible change to the Constitution. At this time, it is not the task of the Commission to comment on the details of the proposed reforms, but we are ready to assist Bulgaria in the reform process. As I told the LIBE Commission in September, any change to the Constitution must go through a broad and inclusive debate and there must be enough time to achieve a broad consensus to strike the necessary balance. It is good practice to seek the opinion of specialized institutions such as the Venice Commission.
Yourova also spoke about the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, which according to the European Commission has proven to be a tool to support reforms. She reiterated the October 2019 decision that Bulgaria has made sufficient progress to meet its commitments by the time the country joins the EU. The current situation, seen from the perspective of the institutional and legislative framework, is no longer the situation in 2007. Furthermore, in its autumn report last year, the Commission stated that Bulgaria was committed to ensuring the continued implementation of the necessary reforms, especially those related to the independence of the judiciary and the fight against corruption.
