Political scandal in Bulgaria could affect elections

Anna Sonny, 3 May 2013

Bulgaria’s wiretapping scandal, dubbed as the country’s ‘Watergate’ is a messy criss-crossing of accusations and leaked wiretaps.

Former agricultural minister Naydenov has accused ex-interior minister Tsetanov of illegally wiretapping politicians in the previous Cabinet.

Tsetanov, often referred to as former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov’s right-hand man, denies any wrongdoing and has blamed the Socialist opposition for cooking up the scandal. Four senior police officials have been charged, but they are said to have been acting under Tsetanov’s instruction.

The most recent resignation in the affair was that of Nikolay Kokinov, the chief prosecutor in Sofia, following a leaked wiretap of a conversation between him, Naydenov and Borisov, which raised questions about whether the judicial system is completely independent.

The year did not start well for the eastern European nation, with astronomically high electricity bills prompting mass protests nationwide, which then led to the resignation of Prime Minister Borisov and his centre-right government in February. A caretaker government is holding things together for now, but the scandal is sure to have an impact on how Bulgarians cast their votes in snap elections on May 12.

Polls show that there is no clear winner between the centre-right GERB (Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria) party and the socialists, which would make it difficult to form a coalition in case of no absolute majority. The EU’s poorest member state will certainly need a stable government to guide it through the aftermath of the scandal.

The abuse of wiretapping highlights the violation of human rights in the country, not to mention the organized crime and corruption that mars the political landscape and hinders economic performance; political messes such as these deter investors, which strangles growth when it is much needed.