Another scandal in Bulgaria? Ursula von der Leyen would have done without it. His name appears in a sound recording clandestinely made during a meeting of the party Let’s continue the change (PP, according to the Bulgarian initials) which was to validate the government agreement reached with the rival party, the Gerb, of Boïko Borissov. This four and a half hour recording was like a bomb! Its broadcast was programmed to derail the negotiations between the PP and the Gerb.
We hear, in fact, the former Prime Minister Kiril Petkov. Not knowing he was being tapped, he recklessly reveals the content of a telephone conversation with the President of the European Commission. There was, indeed, on May 21, a telephone contact between Petkov and von der Leyen about Bulgaria’s possible membership of the euro zone and the Schengen area. The Commission supports Bulgaria in these two undertakings. That’s not the problem.
“I asked him what our chances of being accepted are,” Petkov said. She replied: “For Schengen, you have a great chance. For the euro zone, you have to find a way around the rules, i.e. ‘get in the frame’. I replied: “Can we -we have inflation minus the Ukraine effect.” And she was like, ‘Don’t quote me, we’ll try to help you.’ »
We will never know what terms are really used by each other, but this recording is a furious reminder of Greece’s contentious entry conditions into the euro zone. Athens, with the help of Goldman Sachs, had provided false data to circumvent the criteria for joining the euro zone. The pot of roses was revealed during the Eurozone crisis, when the real statistics were restored by Andreas Georgiou. A sinister episode that left its mark on German public opinion, which was very upbeat at the time. Bulgaria, already very fragile, should not repeat the same subterfuge.
This clandestine recording was made and delivered to the press by MP Radostin Vasilev, breaking away from the Keep the Change party, whose alliance strategy he disapproves of. The recordings reveal, indeed, the real intentions of Petkov’s party vis-à-vis its partner, the Gerb, to form a governing coalition. Under the terms of this agreement, a nine-month rotation between two prime ministers was to be implemented. Nikolay Denkov, for Keeping Up the Change, would be the first head of government. He would be supported by former European Commissioner Mariya Gabriel, from Gerb, who would have the rank of Deputy Prime Minister and the Foreign Affairs portfolio. Then, after nine months, Mariya Gabriel would, in turn, become head of government.
Because they reveal the real intentions of Petkov and Assen Vassilev (prospective for the Ministry of Finance), the recordings have obviously thrown a wedge between the two parties. The Gerb has decided to suspend the negotiations and awaits “clarifications”. In the audio tapes, we learn that the leaders of Let’s continue the change intend in particular to carry out a purge within the State, “legally or illegally”, in the first two weeks by eliminating all the civil servants deemed close to the Gerb, the president Roumen Radev (socialist), and all those suspected of working for the Russian intelligence services. They plan to take control of the Ministry of the Interior for future elections, which casts doubt on the democratic nature of these…
The Gerb expects guarantees that the fundamentals of the rule of law will be respected. They weren’t thrilled to learn that the PP planned to break the government agreement. By the way, Petkov has unkind words towards Mariya Gabriel and Boïko Borissov. Petkov had to apologize. He claims to use the connections of her husband, François Gabriel, a member of the cabinet of Roberta Metsola, the President of the European Parliament. In short, rather shabby politicking carabistouilles…
The prospective prime minister, academician Nikolay Denkov, tried to repair the damage. “Obviously, guarantees must be given that there will be no purges that are not linked to a clear procedure and examination. They should aim to optimize administration, not to make political appointments. […] The law and regulations must be obeyed. “But his credibility remains very damaged…
