Bulgaria EU Hearing Argument Halts Vienna VIP Charity Event

Mladenov’s move comes after Jeleva entered into an argument with Parvanova during her EP hearing over allegations that Jeleva was involved in a conflict of interests. Photo by BGNES

The argument between Bulgaria’s European Commissioner-Designate Rumiana Jeleva and liberal MEP Antoniya Parvanova at Jeleva’s hearing earlier this week has led to a charity ball being cancelled in Vienna late Friday.

The event organized by journalist Sashka Zhurkov, to award the Bulgarian stars of 2009 was allegedly postponed after Defense Minister, Nikolay Mladenov, who as been reported as a possible replacement for Jeleva as EU Commissioner, refused to attend at the last minute saying that “it is impossible for me to sit round the table with Parvanova with the current situation,” the Standart daily newspaper reported.

VIP Bulgarians, including Manchester United star Dimitar Berbatov and the businessmen - the Dinev brothers, were reported to be amongst the disappointed guests, some of whom were outraged after arriving in Vienna only to be told that the event had been cancelled. The organizers said they would refund the EUR 250-650 tickets and the indignant Zhurkov reported that the EUR 18 000 spent for catering would be lost.

Mladenov’s move comes after Jeleva entered into an argument with Parvanova during her EP hearing over allegations that Jeleva was involved in a conflict of interests.

Amidst calls that the debate needs "greater transparency" by other MEPs, Parvanova, who is an MEP from the liberal National Movement for Stability and Prosperity, formerly known as the party led by ex-Tsar Simeon Saxe-Coburg, provided an explanation about a letter that she had submitted to the Commission over Jeleva's alleged conflict of interests.

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