March 16, 2011
Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger urged during a hastily called meeting of ministers yesterday (15March) to introduce safety “stress tests” at nuclear power plans in Europe. He commended the present safety standards in EU countries, but as the same time told German media that we need to consider a “foreseeable future” without nuclear energy. German Chancellor… » read more
Posted by Georgi Gotev
February 18, 2011
We were already familiar with PIGS, that is, the faltering and overspending Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain. Now here is a new acronym. People from the inner circle of Former Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn say he used to call Romania and Bulgaria the R&B countries, adding that he was not sure which was rhythm and… » read more
Posted by Georgi Gotev
January 17, 2011
The supporters of Boyko Borissov in Bulgaria are a bit short of arguments these days. But this is what they say to support the Prime Minister, as the wiretap scandal unfolds: 1. Yes, Borissov may be seen as someone from the underground, but in a country so corrupted by the mafia, only someone like him… » read more
Posted by Georgi Gotev
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Bulgarian, Eastern Europe, English, Enlargement & Neighbours, Justice & Home Affairs, Languages & Culture |
January 13, 2010
Aspiring commissioner Rumiana Jeleva was so sure of her performance that she ordered the Bulgarian national radio to transmit the three-hour debate live. As a Bulgarian national, I am as embarrassed as any of my compatriots. Jeleva made a sorry show of herself and failed to dispel ‘rumours’ about her family business. But more importantly,… » read more
Posted by Georgi Gotev
December 3, 2009
I met Jacques Delors again. I had already had the honour of being in his company when we made a 90-minute TV film about him, Toma Tomov* and me, in 2001. We called the film “Citizen Delors”, partly inspired from a poster of “Citizen Kane” which Delors had kept in his Berlaymont office, in previous… » read more
Posted by Georgi Gotev
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Bulgarian, Eastern Europe, English, enlargement, french, German , Euro, European Constitution, father of Europe, Jacques Delors, Lisbon Treaty |
November 27, 2009
Guy Verhofstadt proposes that the East European EU countries which are still oustide the eurozone adopt the euro as a parallel currency. The proposal concerns Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Romania. I’m not sure this is a very good idea. If the euro was introduced as a parallel currency in… » read more
Posted by Georgi Gotev
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Bulgarian, Eastern Europe, English, enlargement, Enlargement & Neighbours |
November 26, 2009
Jean Quatremer wrote in hos blog, among other things, that according to an internal Commission paper he saw, Bulgarian commisioner designate Rumiana Jeleva would get Justice and Home Affairs. The news were taken up immediately by the entire Bulgarian press. The daily Dnevnik, the partner of EurActiv in Bulgaria, carried the story, which had already… » read more
Posted by Georgi Gotev
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Bulgarian, Eastern Europe, English, Enlargement & Neighbours, Hungarian, Justice & Home Affairs |
October 30, 2009
East European leaders may be bargaining for a fairer deal on climate funding, however the impression remains that they are less interested in the subject, compared to their colleagues from ‘older Europe’. I was discussing this with my friend Jan Vitasek, a Czech journalist, yesterday night in the Council meeting, while EU leaders were having… » read more
Posted by Georgi Gotev
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Bulgarian, Czech, Eastern Europe, English, enlargement, Uncategorized , Bulgaria, Climate Change, Czech Republic, Eastern Europe, Vaclav Klaus |
October 20, 2009
The Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin has punished Bulgaria for not being as pro-Russian as he wants, by excluding it from the South Stream gas pipeline and by abandoning the project of an oil pipeline from the Bulgarian Black Sea city of Varna to to Greek port Alexandroupolis. Indeed, Russia has had a consistent policy… » read more
Posted by Georgi Gotev
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Bulgarian, Eastern Europe, English, enlargement, German, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, Security, Slovak, Turkish |
October 13, 2009
Not me, although I can read the language. In case you don’t know the background, please click here. Obviously Macedonia will not join the EU by exacerbating existing and creating inexistent problems with almost all its neighbours. I’m personally sorry about that, because I wish to see the citizens of this landlocked country enjoying the… » read more
Posted by Georgi Gotev
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Bulgarian, Eastern Europe, English, enlargement, Enlargement & Neighbours |
