Bulgarian-Greek Border Blockade - a Borderline EU Problem

It seems that each year around the same time, Greek farmers not having much to do during the winter, decide to block their country's northern border while Bulgaria, Greece and the EU watch helplessly  waiting for the demonstrators to get tired and go home.

There is not much information how the current rallies will develop, but it is clear they have different organizers without any coordination. On one side we have the unemployed textile workers from Serres, on the other - the farmers asking again for subsidies. Their 200 tractors and other farming equipment are lined-up, ready to close the border.

This year, so far, the situation seems to be more "under control" - the border has been closed briefly only on for several hours on February 7. The Greek authorities have excellent cooperation with Bulgaria that helps prevent or alleviate any potential blockade by protesters of the joint border, the Greek Embassy in Sofia said.

This is great news, and, hopefully, the conditions will remain unchanged.

Also for the first time around - armed Greek police and military are located about 10 km from the border in an attempt to prevent the tractors reaching the Kulata checkpoint. The demonstrators are, however, quite unpredictable. According to reports of the Bulgarian TV channel bTV, as tensions escalate, they are prone to change their mind and the border can be closed over and over again. The farmers say they plan to get organized and use their cars to overcome the police. The E-79 road from Thessaloniki to Bulgaria remains unreliable for traffic as tractors are piled up at key junctions.

Last year Bulgarian businesses reported a total of BGN 15.3 M in losses from the February border blockade by Greek farmers, but this amount could be just the tip of the iceberg since it is said that many simply kept quiet, knowing full well they will not get any damage compensations.

The only thing that had a fleeting effect then was Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, in a "Superman-like" move, landing in a helicopter at the border, talking to the farmers and convincing them to disperse, which they did, but returned just hours later.  "I did everything possible to open Kulata," Borisov stated at the time.

Of course, Greek people have the right to protest. The question is why they don't gather in front of the institutions that have upset them instead of closing the border of a neighboring country, a NATO and EU partner? And why do disgruntled Greek citizens make Kulata-Promachonas the only location where they display their winter discontent?

Greece is called the "cradle of democracy." But is this democracy or anarchy? Is the Greek government silently approving harassment of common travelers and the business or are the demonstrator violating the law and the government is destitute to sanction them? This is a question only Greek authorities can answer and must answer.

There is also the question what is the European Commission's stand in the whole affair? Where are EU laws and European solidarity?

Several days ago, Agriculture Minister, Miroslav Naydenov, announced Bulgaria will send a note against the obstruction of free movement of people and goods to Greece and to the EC over the latest threat of a blockade on the Bulgarian-Greek border. He assured the cabinet is trying to be ahead in the game and not to deal with the issue after the fact, as it was last year.

Last year, EC President, Jose Manuel Barroso, said that the EC will use all legal means to ensure free movement. Barroso told Borisov he hoped the matter would be resolved without the need for lengthy legal procedures and praised Bulgaria's PM on his constructive position and the efforts of Borisov and his Greek counterpart, George Papandreou.

"I believe that the issue can be solved on a consensus basis," Barroso concluded.

EC Vice-President, G?nter Verheugen, asked then the Greek government to undertake urgent action to reinstate the free transit between Bulgaria and Greece because impeding movement of people and goods is a violation if European laws.

But, in order to interfere, the EC requested detailed information to be submitted by Bulgaria and Romania. And the process stopped there – the blockade eventually got lifted.

Essentially, the reaction of the European institutions boiled down to inaction – as they say:  "Life is not fair, deal with it."

The EU is a heavy-duty, cumbersome bureaucracy. It is enough to visit Brussels and take a look at the countless white collar workers swarming inside their colossal, aquarium-like, glass buildings. No wonder why any legal action undertaken there would take so long that it might be better to procrastinate.

Imagine Virginia farmers blocking the North Carolina State line and the federal government saying they "hope the matter can be resolved by a consensus?" Can you? I can't.

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