Snow Freezes Freight Traffic on Bulgaria's Roads

Heavy freight trucks have been banned from travelling in and through Bulgaria, as heavy snowfall that started overnight is continuing throughout the country Thursday. read

Bulgaria, Romania Schengen Hopes to Be Dashed - Report

The Co-operation and Verification Mechanism progress report for Bulgaria and Romania due early February is expected to be negative, according to information by diplomatic sources in Denmark's capital Copenhagen. read

Humbled Bulgaria Police Boss Keeps Job, Vows to Learn

Bulgarian Interior Ministry Chief Secretary Kalin Georgiev will keep his office, it became clear following earlier reports he has filed his resignation with PM Boyko Borisov. read

MORE TOP NEWS Bulgarian President in Brussels: We Need More Europe! Stanishev to Barroso: EU Needs to Get Progressive, Social Bulgarian Opposition with No Confidence Vote over Police Brutality Bulgarian PM Not Bothered by First Lady's Dislike to Him Bulgarian PM Vows Sofia Airport Metro Connection by 2014 Hillary Clinton to Visit Bulgaria in February Bulgaria Last in EU Media Freedom, Slumps Further Sofia University Snubs Raising Fees, Deplores Funding Blizzard Grips Bulgaria, Staggering Power Outages Reported

UPS & DOWNS Bulgarian Foreign Minister Keeps Vows to Oust Diplomats with Communist Security Ties Bulgarian Interior Minister Suffers New 'Police Brutality' Blow

POLL How do you assess Georgi Parvanov's two terms as President of Bulgaria (2002-2012)?  Parvanov has been a major factor for Bulgaria’s success and stability in the first decade of the 21st century.  Parvanov has done little for the Bulgarian society but has been involved in murky backstage deals with the oligarchy, while also advancing Russian interests.  Parvanov hasn’t had that major an impact on Bulgaria – after all, the Bulgarian Presidency doesn’t matter that much. |  Results  Other: share in the forum

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HOT PHOTO NATO Secretary General Thanks President Plevneliev for Bulgaria's Contribution Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev (L) during a joint press conference with the NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen (R) at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, 26 January 2012. Photo by BGNES

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BULGARIAN, EU PRESIDENTS TO PRESS NETHERLANDS ON SCHENGEN

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy vowed to try to convince the Dutch government to reverse a negative stance on Bulgaria's Schengen entry.

Thursday Plevneliev met Rompuy in his Brussels roundtrip, the first international visit since assuming office Sunday.

Rompuy expressed satisfaction at Bulgaria's Schengen progress and assured that EU institutions are in favor of Bulgaria and Romania's swift accession to the Schengen Agreement.

He said that he will include the matter in the agenda for the March European Council, should a political agreement fail to materialize until then.

On his part, the Bulgarian President said "it is not excluded" that he might make an official trip to the Hague to try to overturn the Dutch government's position.

Earlier in the day Plevneliev had received the same assurance from EC President Jose Manuel Barroso and EP President Martin Schultz, who said that the Parliament is currently working on its third resolution in support of Bulgarian and Romanian membership.

The two countries were expected to enter Schengen in the spring of 2011, but their entry was blocked by countries such as France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland, who had worries that problems with organized crime and corruption might jeopardize safety in the Schengen Area.

At the same time, all EU member states and institutions acknowledge the fact that both Bulgaria and Romania have fully complied with Schengen entry technical requirements.

At present only the Dutch government has remained in opposition of a Bulgarian Schengen membership.

Thursday information from Danish EU Presidency sources reported that an informal sitting of EU Interior Ministers revealed that the Netherlands will keep its negative position, given a likely negative report on the Co-operation and Verification Mechanism for Bulgaria and Romania due early February.

PROSECUTION WAS PRESSURED INTO CLOSING 'TAPEGATE' TRIAL âЂ“ BULGARIAN CUSTOMS AGENCY HEAD

Customs Agency head Vanyo Tanov has boasted that the administration collected BGN 800 M more than planned in 2011.

"We got positive estimates both from the EU and in the OLAF report. Since the beginning of 2012, forty pre-trial proceedings have been opened for smuggling of excise goods. Six of them have resulted in suspended sentences. In the case of a second offence, these people will go to jail. This shows that customs officers are working actively," Tanov said Thursday during the morning broadcast of private TV station bTV.

Commenting the the work of the Customs Agency in 2011 and 2012, Tanov admitted that it was difficult to motivate employees whose salaries were relatively low compared to the numerous "temptations" to which their job exposed them.

The Customs Agency head explained that the unit had dismissed many employees in the past two years over suspicions that they were taking bribes.

"The motivation of the customs officers currently employed is achieved through very tight control in the first place, and through pay rises," Tanov explained.

He said that pay increases had been made possible by an optimization of the structure of the customs administration, including staff cuts and the closure of low-efficiency units.

Tanov specified that incomes of Customs Agency officials had grown by BGN 200 in two years as a result of the measures.

Commenting on the Tapegate trial, which had to identify the cause of the leak of surveillance data but was suspended Monday on the grounds of an unknown offender, Tanov suggested that the prosecution had been subjected to pressure, but refused to mention the source.

"I managed to figure out the case for myself throughout this year. It is only normal to open an inspection when a tip-off arrives that somebody is engaged in an embezzlement scheme or some other offence. I was wiretapped due to a signal submitted by dismissed Customs Agency employees, who wrote that customs officers were collecting money and were taking them to senior officials. Fair enough, I got wiretapped. They saw that the information was unfounded. So far, so good. I cannot understand, however, why they went on with the wiretapping and even got members of my family involved," Tanov reasoned.

He specified that he had in mind the attempt to make his son appear a smuggler by planting drugs in his apartment and illegal cigarettes in his car.

Tanov said that he had managed to thwart the planned sabotage act because he had obtained information about it.

"I have been in Sofia for two years and a half and I have never had a tete-a-tete meeting outside the Customs. All my meetings with business representatives have been held in the company of witnesses. So I have nothing to be ashamed of about my actions", the Tanov declared.

The Tapegate scandal flared up in early January 2011, when the Galeria weekly, released three tapes of discrediting conversations between Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, Customs Agency head Vanyo Tanov, Finance Minister Simeon Djankov, and Deputy Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov.

In one of the conversations Borisov was heard ordering Tanov to immediately pull out customs inspectors out of the "Ledenika" brewery owned by Mihail Mihov because he had promised the businessman not to bother him.

Mihov died on March 30, 2011 after suffering a severe heart attack.

The source of the tapes and the method of recording remained an open, yet hugely debated question.

The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) confirmed that the recordings had been made using legitimate special surveillance devices but their release by the services had been illegal.

BAS said that the taped had been manipulated but refused to commit to forecasts about tampering of the content..

Meanwhile, independent French laboratory Lipsadon confirmed the authenticity of the tapes sent by the Galeria newspaper.

On January 18, 2012, journalist Yavor Dachkov vowed to file a lawsuit for libel against Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.

During a press conference, Dachkov said he would file a civil lawsuit against Borisov over the Prime Minister's claims that Dachkov had been involved in the manipulation of the leaked phone conversations.

The journalist insisted that the tapes were authentic surveillance data gathered by the Interior Ministry during an investigation of Vanyo Tanov.

He explained that the tapes had been accessible for officials of the State Agency for National Security (DANS), who had recorded them using a simple sound recording device.

Dachkov said that the events had been part of a racketeering scheme which had been practiced for years by the top brass at DANS to exert pressure over businessmen and politicians.

He further claimed that the Deputy Director of DANS and the former Director of the service had been fully aware of the scam and had taken advantage of it.

BULGARIAN PM VOWS SOFIA AIRPORT METRO CONNECTION BY 2014

The Sofia subway will reach the airport in 2014, according to the promise of Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov.

The new deadline is ahead of the previous schedule, after it became clear at the end of 2011 that the segment between the main Sofia thoroughfare "Tsarigradsko Shosse" boulevard and the airport will be included in the current program period of the EU operational program "Transport" and a public procurement tender for a construction contractor was announced.

Other lines of the capital's metro will also be finished several months ahead of schedule, according to Borisov, who spoke during a tour and inspection of construction works.

The segment between the "Mladost" district and "Tsarigradsko Shosse" will open at the end of May - beginning of June this year, while by August 1, the subway line will reach the "Hemus" hotel.

The PM had proposed to the City Hall to bind parking fees with metro fares – which will be lower than parking prices in Sofia – as a measure to encourage residents and visitors to use the subway and ease traffic in the congested capital.

"Using the subway will take you there in 3-4 minutes, while if you drive, it will take 40 minutes," Borisov explained, adding that parking lots, adjacent to the subway, will be 4 with 2В 800 parking spaces.

BULGARIA'S DESIGNATED FISHING PORTS GROW TO 3

Bulgaria's Transport Ministry has transferred the fishing ports in the northern Black Sea cities of Varna and Balchik to Ribni Resursi EOOD ("Fish Resources EOOD"), a limited liability company 100% owned by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food.

As a result of the step, the fishing ports in Bulgaria become three, according to Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov.

Through this step, Bulgaria fulfills its commitment to preserve fishing jobs and the ports will be eligible to apply for EU financing for modernization under the Fisheries Operational Program.

The program envisages a total of EUR 16 M for the establishment of four fishing ports.

The port in the Black Sea town of Sozopol became the first certified and formally registered fishing port in April 2010.

HILLARY CLINTON TO VISIT BULGARIA IN FEBRUARY

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is to be on an official visit to Bulgaria on February 4 and February 5, according to the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry.

Clinton was invited by Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov back in October 2010 during his visit to the US in which the Bulgarian government's anti-corruption measures were discussed.

The US Embassy in Sofia has told the local Trud daily that it has received a confirmation by the US В Department of State concerning Hillary Clinton's visit.

The Secretary of State's visits abroad are announced by her cabinet in Washington.

NATO SECRETARY GENERAL THANKS PRESIDENT PLEVNELIEV FOR BULGARIA'S CONTRIBUTION

Bulgaria's participation in NATO was given a high assessment by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

"2012 will be an important year for NATO and Bulgaria may play an important part in the process," Rasmussen said after a Thursday meeting with Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev in Brussels.

"The fact that you chose to visit the NATO headquarters so soon after your inauguration is a clear sign of your attitude towards our organization", he told Plevneliev.

"Bulgaria is an important member of NATO and is crucial for security in Southeast Europe. Apart from that, the country provided valuable help for our missions in Afghanistan and Kosovo and for protecting civilians in Libya," Rasmussen said.

He further emphasized Bulgaria's contribution to the discussion of optimization measures at the organization.

Rasmussen made it clear that Bulgaria was helping NATO achieve its goals by participating in the provision of heavy lift aircraft and on-the-ground intelligence.

The NATO Secretary General said that he had thanked President Plevneliev for Bulgaria's contribution to the mission in Afghanistan and that he had not called for an increased participation in ISAF.

Rasmussen concluded by reiterating NATO's appreciation for Bulgaria's firm commitment to the Alliance.

President Plevneliev, in his turn, pointed out that he was meeting the Secretary General of NATO in his first week in office as head of state and on the birth date of NATO's Secretary General.

The Bulgarian President stated that this was a clear indication of the country's active stance and orientation.

Plevneliev emphasized that Bulgaria was proud of its participation in NATO missions, which were successful because of the mutual trust, good partnership and good communication.

Bulgaria's new head of state said that the country was willing to be a good and reliable partner of NATO on a regional level.

He announced that Bulgaria wished to contribute to the conversion of the region from one known for tensions and divisions to a region of peace, stability and prosperity.

Plevneliev also noted that Bulgaria was willing to participate actively in decision making at the forthcoming NATO summit in Chicago in May.

BULGARIAN PRESIDENT IN BRUSSELS: WE NEED MORE EUROPE!

New Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev, who is on his first international visit, met Thursday European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

"We need a stronger and more effective EU. More Europe means, among other things, a better developed Bulgaria," stated Plevneliev after the meeting.

The Bulgarian President also vowed to work hard at achieving swift results in the areas of justice and home affairs, in which Bulgaria is placed under the EU's so-called Co-operation and Verification Mechanism.

"I am greatly impressed of the pragmatic and pro-European program of Bulgaria's new President," said on his part the EC President Barroso.

The two leaders also discussed Bulgaria's stalled accession to the Schengen treaty, upon which Barroso expressed the EC's "full support" of a Bulgarian Schengen entry.

Accession has been blocked by countries such as the Netherlands and Finland, which, following France and Germany, have raised worries relating to corruption and organized crime in Schengen applicants Bulgaria and Romania.

"The Commission has always being clearly stating that it is viewing Schengen and the Co-operation and Verification Mechanism as two separate things that should not be influencing each other," commented Barroso.

He was resolute that the rules of the Mechanism do not stand to be changed, at least until a full evaluation of the 5 years of its implementation is issued over the summer.

Bulgarian President Plevneliev expressed his gratitude for Barroso's support for Bulgaria's Schengen membership.

Earlier Thursday Plevneliev met with European Parliament President Martin Schultz and Bulgarian MEPs.

In Brussels, Plevneliev and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen further discussed what they both saw as the fruitful membership of Bulgaria in the Alliance.

BULGARIA, ROMANIA SCHENGEN HOPES TO BE DASHED - REPORT

The Co-operation and Verification Mechanism progress report for Bulgaria and Romania due early February is expected to be negative, according to information by diplomatic sources in Denmark's capital Copenhagen.

This is likely to stall a long overdue Schengen membership for both countries, as member states such as the Netherlands and Finland have insisted on linking progress in combating corruption and organized crime with Schengen entry.

Agencies Thursday quote the unnamed sources from the Danish EU Presidency, who say that Bulgarian and Romanian expectations for a swift positive end of their Schengen saga will likely come to nought.

Thursday, the Ministers of Interior of the 27 EU member states met informally in Copenhagen, where Schengen was not officially on the agenda, but Dutch grievances against the Bulgarian and Romanian membership were allegedly put on the table.

The two EU member states had to join the Schengen free movement area in the spring of 2011, and by all accounts have fulfilled all technical criteria for entry.

But first France and Germany, and then the Netherlands and Finland, have raised worries, saying that problems with corruption and organized crime in Bulgaria and Romania might compromise Schengen security.

Both Bulgaria and Romania have been placed under the so-called EU Co-operation and Verification Mechanism in justice and home affairs, in view of perceived problems in the management of corruption and organized crime.

The government of both EU member states aspiring for Schengen entry have protested linking the Mechanism and Schengen as legally unjustified, biased, and setting double standards.

Just hours ago, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso had assured Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev, whom he met in Brussels, that the EC views Schengen and the Mechanism as two separate matters, and is in full support of a Bulgarian Schengen entry.

The next EC Co-operation and Verification Mechanism progress report for Bulgaria and Romania is due to be published early February.

STANISHEV TO BARROSO: EU NEEDS TO GET PROGRESSIVE, SOCIAL

"European citizens want clear, fair and immediate action on the economic crisis. The EU is at risk of being seen as part of the problem, imposing only pain through cuts and austerity. This is a breeding ground for populist anger," added Stanishev.

The former Bulgarian PM further gave specifics of PES plans in financing youth employment, saying that the party had identified EUR 10 B in EU structural funds that could be used to that end.

On another note, Stanishev urged the EU to not overlook what he saw as "the ongoing attacks on democratic norms in Hungary, Bulgaria and in Romania."

In an important interview given for 6 major European papers Thursday (the UK's Guardian, German Sueddeutsche Zeitung, French Le Monde, Italian La Stampa, Spanish El Pais, and Polish Gazeta Wyborcza), German center-right Chancellor Angela Merkel for the first time emphasized the need to "promote growth and jobs."

EC REFERS BULGARIA TO COURT OVER EU RAILWAY LAW

The European Commission has said it will alert the European Court of Justice about Bulgaria's failure to ensure the proper implementation of "first railway package" legislation.

The irregularities concern the implementation of provisions on charges which railway undertakings have to pay for access to the infrastructure, the EC press office said in a statement on Thursday.

The main objective of the three directives of the first railway package is to create a basis for market opening and competition in rail services.

"First railway package" legislation provides that infrastructure managers must be independent from railway undertakings, railway track access charges must be non-discriminatory and a regulator must be set up to address obstacles to competition in access to rail infrastructure.

The EC statement reminds that Member States were to implement the three directives by 15 March 2003, while the deadline for Bulgaria was January 01, 2007, the date of its EU accession.

Member States were also required to inform the EC of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions enacted at national level in order to comply with the European rules.

In its January 26 press release, the EC says that, following analyses of the the replies of the Bulgarian authorities, it has decided to refer Bulgaria to the Court of Justice due to its failure to implement EU rules properly.

The referral to the European Court of Justice is the third step of the infringement procedure and starts the litigation phase.

The Court of Justice will now have to decide on the issue raised by the Commission in its referral.

If the Court finds that Bulgaria has violated EU law, the country will be required to take the necessary measures to comply with the judgment.

Incorrect transposition of the first railway package directives obstructs access to the market due to the lack of transparent conditions.

This prevents the establishment of a fully functioning internal market for rail services in Europe.

The EU rules on track access charges aim to encourage an optimal use of the rail infrastructure by offering attractive access conditions for railway operators.

HUMBLED BULGARIA POLICE BOSS KEEPS JOB, VOWS TO LEARN

Bulgarian Interior Ministry Chief Secretary Kalin Georgiev will keep his office, it became clear following earlier reports he has filed his resignation with PM Boyko Borisov.

The resignation reports came Thursday after a fresh case of police brutality over the weekend raised calls from rights activists and opposition for resignations within the Ministry of Interior.

Thursday Georgiev and Borisov met to discuss the matter, and after the meeting it was announced that Georgiev will continue to serve as the Bulgarian police's Chief Secreatary.

It is not yet clear whether he had actually filed his resignation, as after the meeting PM Borisov, as quoted by the Focus Information Agency, said that no resignations of senior police officials had been filed with him.

"We talked about professional matters," said Borisov, adding "It is all too easy to ask for the resignation of the Chief Secretary or even the Minister of Interior."

The Bulgarian PM also commended the work of the police in Thursday's special operation codenamed RALICA, in which an extortion group was arrested.

Earlier Borisov, who had resisted calls to fire senior police officials or Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov, had said that Bulgarian police "need to forget all methods involving undue brutality."

"If needed, we'll have to learn ethics, manners, tactics, and all methods needed for police activities," said Chief Secretary Kalin Georgiev upon emerging from the meeting with the PM.

Georgiev explained the irregularities in the work of the Bulgarian police with the fact that, according to him, each Bulgarian government has removed important police directors, including ones of lower ranks, which has resulted in a loss of tradition.

Saturday's case of police brutality involved dozens of heavily armed elite police officers violently arresting a married couple, only to find 5 packs of contraband cigarettes at their home.

The case gained notoriety due to the fact that the family's daughter was among the organizers of a Facebook group named "I Shall Not Vote for Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov and his GERB Party."

Both leftist and rightist opposition parties have requested the resignation of Minister of Interior Tsvetan Tsvetanov, with the Bulgarian Socialist Party announcing it will initiate a no-confidence vote for the Borisov cabinet over systematic failure in the area of security.

BULGARIAN OPPOSITION WITH NO CONFIDENCE VOTE OVER POLICE BRUTALITY

The Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, is launching consultations with other opposition formations for a no confidence vote against the cabinet.

The no-confidence vote against the cabinet of the ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, will be on the grounds of the more and more frequent cases of police brutality in the country and the refusal of Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, to distinguish from the actions of Interior Ministry employees.

This would be the second no confidence vote against the cabinet over actions of the Interior Minister. BSP further demands the establishment of an inquiry committee to investigate police's excessive use of force.

On Wednesday, the right-wing Blue Coalition requested a Parliamentary hearing of Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, on Tsvetanov's behavior.

Instead of Borisov, the Interior Minister, himself, appeared in the Parliament and in an ardent speech denied police brutality, but admitted mistakes in police work. Visibly irritated, he lashed against all opposition leaders.

Tsvetanov accused BSP leader, Sergey Stanishev, of not distinguishing from Petar Stoyanov AKA The Chieftain, who is a defendant in the high-profile organized crime case "The Killers"; the leader of one of the parties in the Blue Coalition – Union of Democratic Forces, UDF – Ivan Kostov of concealing documents connected to another high-profile case - "The Octopus" - at the time he was Prime Minister, and the Deputy Chairman of the ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms, DPS, Lyutvi Mestan, of pressuring the judicial system in a probe against an activist from his party.

"Regardless of your attacks on the Interior Minister and you commitments to organized crime, I count on Bulgarian citizens who want justice," Tsvetanov declared. The accused asked to exercise their right to answer and were given such, but Tsvetanov did not hear them because he left the Parliament visibly shaken and enraged. He said that he had a flight to catch and nearly ran out of plenary hall.

Stanishev called Tsvetanov a liar; Kostov – a coward, while Mestan stated that "in his unique and very own style the minister was profaning the issue of police brutality over frustration."

SOFIA CITY COURT JUDGES DEFEND COLLEAGUE AGAINST INSULTS BY INTERIOR MINISTER

Judges from the Penal Division of the Sofia City Court (SCC) have come up with a statement in support of Miroslava Todorova, judge at SCC and Chair of the Bulgarian Judges Association (BJA), who was repeatedly accused by Interior Minster Tsvetan Tsvetanov of affiliations with organized crime.

The document, which was released Thursday, has also been signed by Vladimira Yaneva, SCC Chair and close family friend of Tsvetanov, according to reports of the Bulgarian Legal World Magazine.

In a series of media appearances, Tsvetanov accused Todorova of patronizing organized crime and of being incompetent at her job.

He argued that she had delayed the issuing of written motives for verdicts against high-profile criminals, including drug lord Vasil Manikatov.

Todorova countered the accusations by saying that the delay had not allowed anybody to evade justice because the offender had been behind bars during the period.

The BJA Chair said Wednesday she would decide on filing a lawsuit against Tsvetanov in a week.

"Minister Tsvetanov certainly committed a slander and got my name involved in crimes. Slander affects human dignity. Minister Tsvetanov is not only affecting my personal and professional integrity but also the BJA, which plays a key role in the implementation of the judicial reform", Todorova told journalists Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, three former BJA chairs insisted that there were two ways to go about the situation - launch an investigation of Todorova in the case of sufficient evidence pointing to a crime, or subject the Interior Minister to a probe for malfeasance in office due to his comments.

In its Thursday statement, SCC judges protested Tsvetanov's comments that Todorova was "part of the Octopus in the judiciary and caters to the interests of organized crime"

"We believe that by declaring our support for Judge Todorova we are backing the idea for a constructive change in the judiciary - a system created to function on the basis of impartiality and professionalism," SCC staff wrote.

The magistrates also emphasized that inter-institutional relations related to fighting organized crime ought to be carried out within the competence of the respective organs and not through the media.

BULGARIAN PM NOT BOTHERED BY FIRST LADY'S DISLIKE TO HIM

Bulgarian Prime Minister is not concerned with the political comments against him and his party that were discovered in the Twitter page of Yuliana Plevnelieva, the wife of Bulgaria's new President Rosen Plevneliev.

"In our party, we do not get involved in the people's personal relations. She has three children and the family is living fine, so everything is okay. Bulgarians voted for Rosen Plevneliev in the presidential elections, not for his wife. I do not have the honor of knowing her," Borisov told Nova Tv on Thursday.

"This is democracy. I accept it," the Prime Minister further commented on the first lady's political views. "I am doing well without a first lady and I do not need one. I believe that the head of state will also cope," he added. Borisov is currently single.

"We do not need a Boykometer, we need a Boyko-launcher," Plevnelieva tweeted on November 18 2010, as Bulgarian media discovered after her husband's inauguration. Plevneliev was endorsed by Borisov's centrist-right GERB party. She referred to the Boykometer that Bulgarian bloggers created in 2010, a tool measuring thelevel of fulfillment of promises and the adherence of Borisov - inspired by Obameter.

"Dozens of stray dogs are happily barking...they are celebrating Fandakova's victory," Plevnelieva tweeted on October 23 2011 after incumbent Mayor of Sofia, GERB's Yordanka Fandakova, was reelected.

Plevnelieva, an IT expert, has directed some of her comments towards GERB's political opponent, former President Georgi Parvanov. "A man exists who is called Boyko Parvanov. He must be sad," she once wrote.

Mrs. Plevnelieva did not show up at January 22 inauguration ceremony of her husband. Her reluctance to make public appearances has raised eyebrows, as her opponents have accused her of negligence towards protocol rules and the representative function of the head of state.

However, Plevnelieva's newly discovered tweets have also made her growingly popular on Facebook, with many users claiming that she should have been elected President instead of her husband.

2ND NEW VICE-MIN APPOITED AT BULGARIA ECONOMY MINISTRY

Dimitar Chohadzhiev has been appointed Vice-Minister of Economy by Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov Thursday.

Up to now, Chohadzhiev has been adviser to Bulgaria's Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism Traicho Traikov.

He joins Julieta Hubenova as the second Vice-Minister appointed at the Bulgarian large Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism over the week.

Hubenova and Chohadzhiev will most probably be in charge of the economy, as currently the Ministry has two other Vice-Mins, Evgeni Angelov and Ivo Marinov, in charge of energy and tourism, respectively.

Dimitar Chohadzhiev has a degree in Accounting and Control from Bulgaria's University of National and World Economy, and a mastesrs in Finance. He speaks English, French and Russian.

BULGARIAN MPS BOW TO LEGENDARY ACTOR KOSTA TSONEV

Bulgarian Members of the Parliament began their workday Thursday by observing a minute of silence in tribute of legendary Bulgarian cinema and theater actor, Kosta Tsonev.

Tsonev passed away Wednesday, at the age of 82, after a prolonged and serious illness.

The Speaker of the Parliament, Tsetska Tsacheva, addressed the MPs, saying the actor was one of the symbols of an entire era in Bulgarian cinema and theater along with being an individual with an uncompromising civil position as an MP in two General Assemblies.

Tsonev was elected MP in the 39th and 40th General Assemblies on the ballot of the party of former Tsar and Prime Minister, Simeon Saxe-Coburg, National Movement for Stability and Prosperity, NMSP.

The Parliament then proceeded with debates on the ratification of the Convention for the Rights of the Disabled.

BULGARIA LAST IN EU MEDIA FREEDOM, SLUMPS FURTHER

Bulgaria has reached the shameful 80th place in the latest Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index.

The Balkan country lags behind all other EU member states in terms of press freedom, according to the Index. Together with Greece (70th) and Italy (61), it has failed to address the issue of its media freedom violations, above all because of a lack of political will.

"This year's index sees many changes in the rankings, changes that reflect a year that was incredibly rich in developments, especially in the Arab world," Reporters Without Borders said as it released its 10th annual press freedom index.

"Crackdown" has been pinpointed as the word of the year in 2011.

"Never has freedom of information been so closely associated with democracy. Never have journalists, through their reporting, vexed the enemies of freedom so much. Never have acts of censorship and physical attacks on journalists seemed so numerous," Reporters Without Borders reckons.

Finland and Norway are the countries that stand out with a perfect press freedom score, followed by Estonia and the Netherlands.В  Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea occupy the last three spots among a total of 179 states.

Bulgaria is one place below Togo and has been estimated to have the same index as Serbia, Chile and Paragway. In last year's Index, the Balkan country was 70th.

BULGARIAN UNVEILS MAJOR RUSSIAN FACEBOOK SCAMMERS

Dancho Danchev, a Bulgarian cybercrime researcher has unmasked Koobface, a group of Russian botnet operators that have made an estimated USD 2 M over the past few years.

For three-and-a-half years, Koobface operated as a cybercriminal gang that fooled Facebook users into watching links to YouTube videos that were actually a piece of malware, Deutche Welle has explained.

That malware then infected these computers and made them part of a botnet, a vast network of computers worldwide that can be controlled remotely. Then, the Koobface gang would trick the users again by serving up advertisements, send them fake computer security warnings and offer to sell them bogus software.

"I've been tracking them for the last 2.5 years. What's interesting is that they've pioneered the propagation of cybercrime on social networking software, particularly on Facebook, where they've earned over USD 2 M (EUR 1.5 M). And, they've pioneered the breaking of CAPTCHA on social networking websites by outsourcing it to other victims," the Bulgarian researcher has revealed in his interview with Deutsche Welle.

The leader of the gang, Anton Nikolaevich Korotchenko, made a crucial mistake by registering a domain using his personal e-mail address, and leaving it in the command-and-control structure of the botnet, which Dancho Danchev was monitoring at the time.

"That's very ironic. They thought they were invincible, and they thought no one was following them and they started forgetting they were on everyone's radar, and they made a simple mistake that lead to total exposure," Danchev has commented.

SNOW FREEZES FREIGHT TRAFFIC ON BULGARIA'S ROADS

Heavy freight trucks have been banned from travelling in and through Bulgaria, as heavy snowfall that started overnight is continuing throughout the country Thursday.

The situation is critical in the Ruse and Razgrad regions of northeastern Bulgaria, where the vast majority of roads have been closed, due to snow drifts of 0.7-1.5 m.

Code Red for extremely dangerous weather is under consideration for both Ruse and Razgrad regions.

The Danube Bridge to Romania at Ruse is also closed due to heavy snowfall in southern Romania.

The municipalities of Godech and Svoge in western Bulgaria have declared emergency situations, with communications with smaller settlements in the areas being cut off.

At least 30,000 users of electric power utility CEZ in western Bulgaria have been left with no electricity, down from 53,000 Thursdsay morning.

Heavy snowfall with power blackouts and minor road problems are also reported in the Rhodope Mountains area of southern Bulgaria.

BLIZZARD GRIPS BULGARIA, STAGGERING POWER OUTAGES REPORTED

About 53 000 customers of the Power Utility CEZ, serving western and southwestern Bulgaria, are without electricity over the heavy snowfall, the company announces.

In exception of Sofia, the entire territory served by CEZ is experiencing interruptions in the power supply. The worse affected are small villages, where access is very difficult.

An emergency situation has been declared in the municipalities of Svoge and Godech, near Sofia.

CEZ assure that 450 emergency teams have been sent and are trying to reach all locations where damage is reported.

The situation is worsening in the Ruse Region, where 11 villages are without power. The village of Ivanovo is also without water because it has an electric water pump. There are problems with deliveries of basic food staples, such as bread, to several villages.

All roads from the Danube city of Ruse to the capital Sofia, to the Black Sea city of Varna, and to the Danube city of Silistra are closed. A number of vehicles are reported stuck in the snow. Danube Bridge, connecting Bulgaria and Romania, remains closed.

Schools in a number of villages and towns in the region are closed while the crisis headquarters are meeting in Ruse.

In the Rhodoppe Mountains Smolyan Region 56 villages and towns are experiencing power outages, but the roads there are passable. All vehicles need to have tire chains while tractor trailers are banned.

20 towns and villages are also without power in the Pazardzhik Region.

The Varna port is closed over strong winds.

The Lyulin highway near Sofia is open for traffic, the State Agency Road Infrastructure reports.

1В 079 snowplows are cleaning roads all over the country. The "Hemus" highway connecting Varna and Sofia is temporarily closed for tractor trailers in the section near the capital.

The "Trakiya" highway in southern Bulgaria is also closed over a serious traffic accident. The "Struma" highway is closed for tractor trailers for cleaning.

The weather services forecast that the snowfall will last all through the night and into Friday. Snow is to be expected in the next days as well.

The Interior Ministry has registered 22 serious traffic accidents in the last 24 hours with 25 injured.

The Road Agency and the traffic police appeal to drivers to postpone trips unless there is an absolute emergency. Those who must travel should have a full tank of gas, winter tires, a fully charged cell phone and water.

SOFIA AIRPORT REPORTS DELAYS OVER HEAVY SNOW

The airport authority at Sofia International reports that flights are delayed with about half an hour to an hour over the heavy snow.

Runways are being cleaned round-the-clock and are closed for cleaning for about 35 minutes after each departing and landing aircraft.

Early in the morning flights to the Black Sea city of Burgas and to Brussels were cancelled.

The Lufthansa flight to Munich and the Bulgaria Air flight to Madrid are delayed.

The arriving flight from Prague had been diverted to Burgas in the early hours Thursday.

The airport in the second largest city of Plovdiv is operating normally, but under winter conditions. The runways are clean.

The airport director does not rule out delays later in the day. The Plovdiv airport has not yet received requests from Sofia to accept flights scheduled to land in the capital. It had accepted 5 such flights Wednesday evening.

SOFIA CITY HALL CONVENES EMERGENCY HEADQUARTERS OVER SNOW

The Sofia City Hall has called emergency headquarters to coordinate the cleaning of snow-covered roads.

It has been snowing in the capital since the wee hours Wednesday and there is a reported a 35-cm snow cover.

The Mayor of Sofia, Yordanka Fandakova, informs that all available snow plows and other snow removal equipment – about 200 machines, are on the streets and had cleaned non-stop overnight into the day Thursday.

The City Hall's services have cleaned several times already the main roads and those used by public transportation, which is running without significant delays. Fandakova says those thoroughfares are priority while the cleaning of side streets will start in the evening.

Public transportation stops and underpasses are also being cleaned round-the-clock, according to the City Hall.

BULGARIA JOINS ROMANIA IN DANUBE STURGEON PROTECTION

Bulgaria has officially extended its one-year ban on Danube sturgeon fishing for a further four year, thus joining its northern neighbor Romania.

"It is of utmost importance that Bulgaria has finally joined Romania in this very important measure", В said Vesselina Kavrakova, Programme Manager of the WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme in Bulgaria, as cited by WWF.

"The Romanian moratorium came into force in April 2006, but considering that the Danube serves as a national border between Bulgaria and Romania, a one-sided ban was not effective," she pointed out.

The two Balkan countries hold the only viable populations of wild sturgeons in the EU, but five of the six native sturgeon species in the Danube river are critically endangered because of poaching,

"Overfishing because of persistent illegal trade in their caviar involving Bulgaria and Romania, is the biggest cause for concern, but habitat alteration, including hydropower, and pollution are also contributing causes", Kavrakova commented.

According to the World Sturgeon Conservation Society, the Danube is the only large river system in Europe where protection of existing but dwindling sturgeon stocks is still possible.

"What we need now, is to see various activities conducted in support of sturgeon populations, for example restocking and monitoring of the status of sturgeons. We need to see an effective information campaign among fishing communities and a true enforcement of the ban", Kavrakova said.

"We want to see that both Romania and Bulgaria raise awareness among enforcement agencies of the illegal caviar trade and strengthen their capacity to control and monitor the trade", she added.

SOFIA UNIVERSITY SNUBS RAISING FEES, DEPLORES FUNDING

The Academic Council of Bulgaria's Sofia University has decided to not raise student fees in 2012, in spite it was allowed to do so by the government.

"At a time of crisis and stagnation of higher education, it would be cynical to throw the burden of financing education on students and their families," stated Sofia University Rector, Prof. Ivan Ilchev.

Bulgaria's center-right GERB government has since 2009 cut funds for public education, as part of its austerity measures, but in the state budget for 2012 allowed state universities to raise their student fees at their own discretion.

"We recall that for a third consecutive year the state subsidy for students is below the sanitary minimum and does not allow Bulgarian universities to take their rightful place among EU institutions of higher learning," reads an open letter by the Academic Council to Bulgarian Parliament Speaker Tsetska Tsacheva, PM Boyko Borisov, and Minister of Education Sergey Ignatov.

Thursday Ilchev recalled that the state subsidy per student has dropped from BGN 960 per year to BGN 693 per year, or more than 30%.

The president of Bulgaria's older and most prestigious university also stated that the university has made some progress in strapping up its finances, having payed out all debts to private companies, but still has some outstanding debts to state agencies.

Ilchev emphasized that institutions of higher learning are fundamental to a country's prosperity and said that notwithstanding that fact universities have still to fight for their very existence.

BULGARIA, GREECE TURN WD TEEN PATIENT NIGHTMARE INTO HAPPY ENDING

A thirteen-year-old Bulgarian comatose patient, who was saved after authorities and doctors in Bulgaria and Greece pooled their efforts for a liver transplant, took the first step toward his new life on Thursday.

"The operation is unique in that it brings together the efforts of two countries – Bulgaria and Greece. Fortunately our attempt to save the child's life proved successful," Dr. Lyubomir Spasov, head of the Lozenets University Hospital, told reporters as his team prepared to release the young and brave survivor Tanyo.

The Sofia-based hospital is one of the few in Eastern Europe, which carry out liver transplants from live donors.

"I want to thank the doctors in the Greek hospital in Athens, who were the first to take care of Tanyo and did not hesitate to take the risk to transport him to Bulgaria for the liver transplant," he added.

The boy's recovery is amazing having in mind that exactly a month ago, on December 26, while in Athens, he fell into coma, the final stage of the Wilson disease, a genetic disorder that prevents the body from getting rid of extra copper.

The only chance for life was a liver transplantation. After the Greek doctors rushed to give the boy first aid, he was urgently flown to Sofia with the assistance of Bulgaria's embassy in Athens and the government.

A team from Sofia-based University Hospital for Active Treatment Lozenets committed to the risky operation, a daunting task for any surgeon. The moral burden on the doctors' backs got heavier after the father agreed to become a donor so that his son may live.

The chance for Tanyo to survive was less than 10%, but the Bulgarian medics decided to take the risk.

A month after the lifesaving liver transplant, Tanyo, with a wide and welcoming smile on his face, stood before reporters at a press conference, accompanied by no other than Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov himself.

Borisov, who issued the order for transporting the boy to Bulgaria, was the first to receive his special and sincere gratitude.

"I want to thank Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, the doctors and nurses, who gave me a second chance at life," Tanyo said on Thursday at the special event, that marked his release from hospital.

"There is no greater award for a doctor's team than to see one little child, now that he has a second chance at life, happy again," Bulgaria's Health Minister Stefan Konstantinov, who also attended the event, wrapped it up.

The hope is that Tanyo's success story will set the beginning of a fruitful cooperation between Bulgaria and Greece in the transplantation field. An agreement on that has already been reached by the two countries' health ministers.

"Bulgaria and Greece are neighboring countries and I want to see that not only in geographical or geopolitical terms, but also as an opportunity for cooperation and mutual help," the Greek Ambassador to Bulgaria, Thrasivoulos Stamatopoulos, said at the event.

Tanyo, whose biggest dream is to become a football player, will be soon leaving for Greece.

But Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, well known for his love of football, has promised him a new and much more pleasant challenge there – a clash on the football pitch.

LEVSKI RENEW BID FOR TROUBLED BOJINOV - REPORT

Bulgarian club Levski Sofia will try once again to complete a surprising transfer by snapping up Sporting Lisbon's unwanted striker Valeri Bojinov, it has been reported.

Bojinov stirred a scandal last week by shoving a team mate aside to take a vital injury-time penalty – which he missed. He was subsequently expelled from Sporting's first team and his future at Estadio Jose Alvarade is extremely doubtful.

It is believed that Bojinov will be either loaned out until the end of the season or sold, with Turkish side Trabzonspor, Bulgarian champions Litex and Fiorentina named as potential bidders.

Levski tried to sign the striker already in December and made one more attempt after his recent fiasco. The team is in a desperate need of a new striker, as Brazilian forward Zezinho whom they almost signed on Wednesday turned out to be needing surgery.

Bojinov hit recently the front pages of Bulgarian tabloids after deciding to marry in between two matches of the national team, at a time when it was in desperate need of at least one face-saving victory, raising many eye brows.

NOTORIOUS BULGARIAN EX CHIEF PROSECUTOR MOCKS 'OCTOPUS' CASE

Bulgaria's former Chief Prosecutor, Nikola Filchev, firmly denied in Court Thursday that he had maintained close ties with defendant Alexey Petrov AKA The Octopus and The Tractor.

Filchev took the witness stand in the high-profile organized crime case against Petrov.

The indictment against the former employee of the State Agency for National Security, DANS, murky businessman and alleged crime boss Alexey Petrov was filed by the prosecution following an investigation of close to two years. Petrov, together with five other people are facing charges of racketeering and extortion. He was arrested on February 10 2010, in a special operation codenamed "Octopus."

The first question asked by the Prosecutor to Filchev was if he had worked as Chief Prosecutor to which he replied: "I don't remember. Do you?"

Filchev described for the magistrates another defendant in the case – Tseko Yordanov, also a former prosecutor, as a "man of principles."

He proceeded to say he met Petrov for the first time in 1999, through the former Chief Secretary of the Interior Ministry, Bozhidar Popov. They had several talks in a Sofia restaurant over a real estate purchase the defendant was making for his mother. He also stated that he knew the former Chief of the National Security Services, NSS (now DANS), General Atanas Atanasov only by name.

After a 3-hour-long testimony, it remained unclear if Filchev had pressured for Petrov's hiring at NSS. On Wednesday, Atanasov told the magistrates that in 2001, the then Chief Prosecutor had called him with a request to hire "The Tractor" as undercover agent in NSS. Prosecutor Svetlozar Kostov asked for a direct confrontation between the two over the denial. His request was accepted by the court and the judge called on both witnesses to stand and face each other.

Atanasov reiterated his claim, to which the ex Prosecutor replied that this was a "100% lie" and that he does not know Atanasov.

During his Wednesday testimony, Atanasov also said that there was a strong connection between now-former President, Georgi Parvanov, who left office four days ago, and Petrov, while Filchev was the intermediary between the two.

"I was harassed for 7 years by Filchev and several other prosecutors and was attacked including by 3 investigations against me -one was dismissed; the other two ended with not guilty verdicts. I had access to information as NSS Chief and found evidence that this attack was politically motivated and came from Parvanov," Atanasov told the magistrates.

Seven other witnesses are scheduled to take the witness stand Thursday.

In addition to Atanasov, on Wednesday the magistrates heart testimony from DANS Deputy Chair, Ivan Drashkov, former Interior Minister, Emanuil Yordanov, former DANS Director, Petko Sertov, and the Head of DANS Human Resources Department, Avram Ivanov.

Also on Wednesday, Edvin Sugarev, a former Member of the Parliament from the right-wing Union of Democratic Forces, UDF, writer, journalist, and public figure, sent an open letter to current Chief Prosecutor, Boris Velchev, alerting him that Filchev must be investigated for the murders of Yambol lawyer, Nadezhda Georgieva and of Prosecutor, Nikolay Kolev.

Before the start of the Thursday trial session, Sugarev, who is also a witness in the case, told journalists that there were solid grounds to arrest Filchev, adding a while ago he had spoken to Boris Velchev, who agreed that his predecessor must be detained, but later gave up on the idea.

More on the murders of Nadezhda Georgieva and Nikolay Kolev read HERE.

Petrov continues to insist that the case against him is political retribution. He vowed to sue for libel all who testify against him, and stressed that this case will end up being a serious blow to national security and a humiliation for Bulgaria.

In other developments, Ex-England Attorney General Lord Peter Goldsmith officially joined Thursday Petrov's defense team, hinting for journalists that he believes his client is innocent.

Petrov, together with five other people are facing charges of racketeering and extortion.

The Interior Ministry said at the time of his arrest that it had bust a very powerful, exceptionally well-organized and hierarchically structured crime ring that had been functioning since 1997.

The detainees were initially charged with organizing prostitution, drug trafficking, money laundering, racketeering, tax fraud and embezzlement.

In the summer of 2010, the prosecutor declared that it was impossible to solve the case with one trial and opened two trials against a total of 25 defendants, deploying a team of three prosecutors.

Petrov was released on house arrest in October 2010 after spending 8 months under arrest, which in February 2011 was changed to own recognizance. He ran for President in the end-October elections.

BULGARIAN POLICE BEAT OWN RECORD FOR BOMBASTIC SPEC OP NAME

Bulgarian police have publicized carrying out a "special operation" against an extortion group just at a time when a police brutality scandal has raised calls for senior resignations within the Ministry of Interior.

Ever since the taking over of Minister of Interior Tsvetan Tsvetanov, the Bulgarian police has become notorious with inventing spectacular codenames for its many special ops, but this time it has surpassed itself by coining a exuberantly over-the-top appellation.

The special operation, carried out in Bulgarian capital Sofia, was codenamed RALICA. The acronym is a popular Bulgarian female name, and also a traditional name for the Orion constellation.

As an abbreviation, it translates to "Racketeering, Greed, Hypocrisy, Extortion, Cynicism and Anarchy", according to an official Interior Ministry press release.

In the operation, 4 men were arrested in Bulgarian capital Sofia upon receiving the amount of BGN 3,000 from a Sofia resident, who had filed a signal with the police that he is being blackmailed.

All of the arrested - 3 in their 20s, and one in his 30 - have previous criminal records, in some cases for felonies such as murder and robbery.

A number of wireless communication devices have been uncovered at the car they were driving.

The operation was carried out by members of elite police Counterterrorism and Operational units.

At the same time, a recent case of police brutality, in which heavily armed anti-crime police arrested and beat a family, only to uncover 5 packs of bootleg cigarettes at their home, sparked controversy and led to calls for resignations at the Ministry, including that of Minister Tsvetanov.

SCOTTISH MURDER SUSPECT IN BULGARIA AGED 71, CALLED DAVID

The Scotsman suspected for the brutal murder of an 11-year-old Bulgarian boy is 71-year-old David B., it has emerged.

The man who allegedly raped and strangled to death 11-year-old Stanislav Mirchev close to the town of Vidin on the Danube River has been educated in Germany and has worked as an aviation mechanic, local authorities have told the Bulgarian National Radio.

The suspect has reportedly admitted his guilt and has shared details that only the culprit would have known with the police. His full confessions came after he failed a lie detector test.

The man has denied having raped the child, claiming that he had become enraged because he suspected the boy of "poisoning one of his dogs."

Earlier, it was announced that the suspect settled in the village of Lagoshevtsi four years ago.

Stanislav was declared missing at the beginning of January and was later found dead near Lagoshevtsi where he lived in together with his big and poor family.

3 BUILDINGS COLLAPSE IN DOWNTOWN RIO

Three buildings, one of them 20 stories high, collapsed in Rio de Janeiro's center Wednesday evening, with the number of potential victims remaining unclear.

"Three buildings collapsed: a 20-story building, a 10-story building and a smaller building of three or four floors," Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes told reporters late Wednesday, updating on earlier information.

"Giving a total number of victims would be pure speculation," he added, as cited by The Times of India. According to the Mayor, "structural problems" have been the most likely cause.

According to TV network Globo News, there were "11 casualties - dead and injured" in the incident.

A "mountain of rubble" has been reported on the street, with thick dust covering the cars nearby

RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH GATHERS AID FOR DEBT-RIDDEN GREECE

The Russian Orthodox Church has started a solidarity aid campaign, gathering funds for fellow orthodox Greece, which has been plagued by a severe financial crisis.

Russian Patriarch Kirill has blessed the collection of donations in all orthodox churches across Russia.

Thursday Patriarch Kirill met with chair of Greek conservative party New Democracy Antonis Samaras and expressed the "deep compassion that Russians feel for the Greek people in this time of trial."

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church also praised the efforts of the Greek Orthodox Church in raising funds to help the most needy in Greece.

Kirill further assured that an extensive network is being established between Russian charity organizations and the Greek Orthodox Church to help alleviate the situation in the debt hit country.

Greece's debt is estimated at EUR 360 B, and fears that it might default are still rampant, in spite of two rescue plans implemented by the EU and IMF.

IS IRAN REALLY THE BAD GUY?

Click here to read the story:
www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=136109


TACKLING THE CRISIS IN EUROPE: DEREGULATION AND PRIVATIZATION?

2011's Davos World Economic Forum marks a new stage on the debate for EU emergence from the crisis with important speeches by adversaries Angela Merkel and David Cameron.

Perhaps the key significant moment was a shift of rhetoric by both the German Chancellor and the UK PM towards a strong emphasis on growth and jobs, replacing the old austerity-only mantra.

Yet, deep divisions remain. Merkel wants to forge deeper political and economic integration within the EU, something that Cameron cannot be but averse to.

Merkel preaches "caution", Cameron praises "boldness."

Still, behind those important differences of vision that are likely to stall any swift developments within the EU, a deeper consensus remains.

It is of a rightist, or neoliberal, or however one likes to put it, nature.

And it further enfeebles the already weak position of the Party of European Socialists, whose main argument in the debate was "growth and jobs against austerity."

What are Cameron's and Merkel's methods to create growth?

The catchword of the UK PM's Davos World Economic Forum was "deregulation." In her Wednesday interview for Le Monde, the German Chancellor let the word slip - "privatization."

Two slogans of the Reagan-Thatcher era that set up the stage for the unprecedented growth of financial markets and paved the way to the present moment.

Do European leaders need a change of mindset?