Bulgaria's 'Socialist' PM to Consult with Neoliberal NGOs on Business Climate

New Bulgarian PM Plamen Oresharski will continue a string of consultations on bettering Bulgaria's business climate, by meeting representatives of various NGOs Thursday.

The meeting, set to take place 2 pm at the Council of Ministers, is intended to contribute to develop policies for improvement of regulatory regimes and public procurement procedure.

It is also hope that the consultation will be instrumental to developing a better working climate between the executive and NGOs, says a cabinet press release.

What strikes the eye of the reader is that the invitees include predominantly directors of NGOs that have been for years pushing the neoliberal agenda in Bulgaria, such as the Market Economy Institute, Open Society, Center for Liberal Strategies, Industry Watch, and the Center for the Study of Democracy.

The Oresharski cabinet was elected with the votes of second- and third-largest political groups in the new Bulgarian Parliament, those of the Bulgarian Socialist Party and the liberal Movement for Rights and Freedoms, respectively.

Plamen Oresharski was Bulgaria's Finance Minister 2005-9, in another Socialist-led cabinet, at which time the Socialists were the senior partner in a tripartite coalition with the Movement, and a minor liberal party, the National Movement for Stability and Prosperity.

Although Oresharski has been twice elected as Socialist Party MP (2009 and 2013), he is not a party member, and has served as vice-FinMin in the rightist cabinet of ex-PM Ivan Kostov (1997-2001).

Monday Oresharski already conducted a business climate consultation with representatives of industries and employers' union.

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