SofiaEcho RSS feed Editorial

Editorial: Crime and codes

Clive Leviev-Sawyer — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:59:00 +0200

It is not that there have been no laws on these issues before; the problem has been that either they have provided for penalties that are too mild, or have not been put into practice at all.

Editorial: Presidents and prime ministers

Petar Kostadinov — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:58:00 +0200

Conflicts between Bulgarian presidents and prime ministers have never helped either side.

Editorial: Time of changes

Clive Leviev-Sawyer — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:59:00 +0200

In a week in which Europe and much of the world commemorated the fall of the Berlin Wall, it is notable that this new November heralded several changes of its own.

Editorial: National insecurity

Clive Leviev-Sawyer — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:59:00 +0200

The drama around Bulgaria’s State Agency for National Security and former prime minister Sergei Stanishev is playing to the full advantage of Prime Minister Boiko Borissov.

Editorial: Being taken for a ride

Clive Leviev-Sawyer — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:58:00 +0300

Every kidnapping in Bulgaria spawns innuendo about the victim, that somehow the episode is revenge for some other deed in the underworld.

Editorial: A little encouragement

Clive Leviev-Sawyer — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:59:00 +0300

There can be little doubt that European Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn was correct to say that for countries in South Eastern Europe, the prospect of becoming eligible for negotiating membership of the EU has been a substantial motivation to reform.

Editorial: Driving Europe

Clive Leviev-Sawyer — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:59:00 +0300

It will be interesting to see how Bulgaria’s nomination of Roumyana Zheleva, ambitiously put forward for key portfolios such as energy or enlargement, is treated by those who really count in the bloc.

Editorial: Smoking and sin taxes

Clive Leviev-Sawyer — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:59:00 +0300

The term "sin tax" has been applied to excises on tobacco and liquor. In Bulgaria, the idea of taxing smoking to the hilt seems an idea that is overripe.

Editorial: Irina Bokova and Unesco

Clive Leviev-Sawyer — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:59:00 +0300

Bokova has used the word "reform" in relation to her plans for Unesco, a word familiar with those who observe the United Nations

Editorial: The value of consensus

Clive Leviev-Sawyer — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:59:00 +0300

The meeting of the Consultative Council on National Security convened by President Georgi Purvanov was widely seen as an attempt by Purvanov to grab the limelight from Prime Minister Boiko Borissov

Editorial: Purvanov and Borissov

Clive Leviev-Sawyer — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:59:00 +0300

President Georgi Purvanov seems determined to cast himself in the role of leader of the opposition to Prime Minister Boiko Borissov.

Editorial: The energy question, again

Clive Leviev-Sawyer — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:59:00 +0300

On the face of it, Prime Minister Boiko Borissov’s Government seems to have softened its stance on what are generally termed the Russian energy projects.

Editorial: Bulgaria’s state railways are in a state

Clive Leviev-Sawyer — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 09:59:00 +0300

The phrase "a hell of a way to run a railroad" is extremely apposite regarding Bulgarian State Railways, BDZ.

Editorial: New brooms

Clive Leviev-Sawyer — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:00:00 +0300

The performance of Prime Minister Boiko Borissov’s Government in moving against people and actions linked to the previous government is a classic illustration of the adage that new brooms sweep clean.

Editorial: The new face of Bulgaria’s foreign policy

Petar Kostadinov — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 10:00:00 +0300

The proactive and public policy of Boiko Borissov’s Government in defending the rights of Bulgarians abroad has been warmly welcomed by a constituency who for years has been complaining about the disregard of its embassy.

Keeping in touch

Gabriel Hershman — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 10:07:00 +0300

It’s a feature of all new governments that they bring new rhetoric and talk of a fresh broom. Unfortunately, it’s also the case that, once safely ensconced in power, many ministers come to regard the status quo somewhat more benevolently.

Editorial: Call back the past

Clive Leviev-Sawyer — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 09:59:00 +0300

With the change of government, debate on dealing with Bulgaria’s communist-era past has been reopened.

Editorial: The Report

Clive Leviev-Sawyer — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:59:00 +0300

Detail aside, one very clear message emerges from the latest European Commission report on Bulgaria that there has been insufficient political will to make significant achievements.

Editorial: Getting underway

Clive Leviev-Sawyer — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:59:00 +0300

Several of the headlines on the morning after the first sitting of Bulgaria’s new Parliament reflected the mood of expectation around Boiko Borissov’s forthcoming government.

Editorial: Change we can believe in

Clive Leviev-Sawyer — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:59:00 +0300

Bulgaria has given Boiko Borissov a mandate for change.