Novinite.com Readers Vote EC Head Barroso Top Foreign Politician for Bulgaria in 2009

EC President Barroso (left) (pictured here with Bulgarian President Parvanov) has been picked as the most important foreign politician for Bulgaria in 2009 by the readers of Novinite.com. Photo by BGNES

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso is the International Politician with the Greatest Contribution to Bulgaria in 2009, according to the readers of Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency).

The readers of Novinite.com were able to submit their votes for Bulgaria’s personalities and events of 2009 over a period of six weeks – from November 20, 2009, until January 4, 2010, in the traditional annual poll of the largest Bulgarian English-language media. The 2009 voting categories included Bulgarian Politician of the Year 2009, Bulgarian Sports Personality of the Year 2009, Bulgaria's Event of the Year 2009, International Politician with the Greatest Contribution to Bulgaria in 2009.

EC President Barroso has triumphed over the other contestants in the race – US President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Barroso’s win seems to be a testimony to the importance of the EU and its institutions for Bulgaria. The EC President was in the lead during the entire six weeks of the voting.

As President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso has unwaveringly supported reform efforts in Bulgaria in its quest to solve its post-EU accession problems. He is known to have been working well with both the former Bulgarian government of Sergey Stanishev and the new one of Boyko Borisov, aiding efforts which led to the unfreezing of most of Bulgaria's EU funds blocked in 2008. He has pushed for additional decommissioning aid for Bulgaria over the closure of the small Kozloduy NPP reactors, and has been active in preventing new crises with Russian gas supplies from which Bulgaria stands to be badly affected.

Even though US President Barack Obama has not come to Bulgaria yet, and has not been directly involved with any developments in the country, his overall impact on reducing the tension in international politics seems to have been enough for the readers of Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency) to select him as the second most important international politician for Bulgaria in 2009 after Barroso.

The third place in the race was really contested by the leaders of the two top EU powers - France and Germany. Eventually, the German Chancellor Angela Merkel grabbed the third spot in the Novinite.com poll by a very narrow margin over the French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Despite being the only top foreign leader to visit Bulgaria in the second half of 2009 since the new Borisov government took over and declaring his falling in love with Bulgaria, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has remained last in the Novinite.com poll.

The final results of the "International Politician with the Greatest Contribution to Bulgaria in 2009" are: EC President Jose Manuel Barroso – 28,27% (333 votes); US President Barack Obama – 23,01% (271 votes); German Chancellor Angela Merkel – 19,78% (233 votes); French President Nicolas Sarkozy – 19,35% (228 votes); Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi – 9,59% (113 votes). The final results are also available HERE.

The Team of Novinite.com would like to thank all of its readers who voted in our initiative to select the most deserving and successful individuals related to Bulgaria, and the most important event of 2009! The winners in the different categories will be awarded at a special ceremony to be announced.

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