Bulgarian MEP: After US Sanctions EU May Well Suspend Funds for Bulgaria

The US sanctions under the Magnitsky Act imposed on six Bulgarians, including Delyan Peevski and Vasil Bozhkov, will have an impact on European policy approach to Bulgaria. This is what MEP Radan Kanev ("Democratic Bulgaria"/EPP) says in an interview with the toest.bg website.

"We can expect a significant hardening of the tone in talks with Bulgaria in the coming days and weeks, especially with regard to the status quo in the judiciary. Very soon I would expect a direct threat, that is a suspension of European funds," he forecast

According to him, the forthcoming report on Bulgaria focused on the rule of law mechanism "will be extremely critical and focused on the nature of the problem, and it is the state of justice and the security sectors, and especially the Bulgarian Prosecutor's Office".

Kanev explains that the EC document will be accompanied by much clearer and firmer recommendations for reforms in the justice system and the prosecutor's office. And it is in this report that the MEP also expects "an unconcealed threat that European funds for Bulgaria will be partially limited or suspended if our country does not take immediate action".

"We are seeing a complete failure of attempts to fight corruption at the top echelon of power, at the same time the special services and prosecutor's office are encouraging corruption, not hindering it," Kanev said. He reminds that the EU is currently providing the largest financial package in its history and the nordic donor countries have crossed a number of red lines in their internal policy to allow huge amounts to be borrowed centrally from the EC.

That's why the issue of political corruption is becoming crucial. And "it will be posed sharply to Bulgaria, because otherwise in the nordic...