Lack of Continuity Impedes Bulgaria's Judicial Reform – Minister

Zinaida Zlatanova, Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister, photo by BGNES

Justice Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Zinaida Zlatanova has argued that the lack of continuity has prevented Bulgaria from conducting judicial reform.

In a Monday interview for private TV station TV7, she claimed that  a bill on judicial reform would be submitted to Parliament by end-2013.

Zlatanova suggested that it was not possible for magistrates to feel motivated, taking into account that they felt that they were at the bottom of the priority list of politicians.

She cautioned that the next report of the European Commission on Bulgaria's judiciary would contain strong recommendations to Parliament, provided that it failed to elect a judicial inspector.

"This is indicative of the way parties and politicians treat the judiciary," she explained, as cited by dnevnik.bg.

She went on to argue that the decision on the moratorium on land sale to foreigners had had a detrimental image on Bulgaria's reputation with its European partners, adding that the country had become an unreliable and unpredictable ally.

"Bulgaria left its European partners with the impression that it was unaware of the founding principles of the Union," Zlatanova added.

Bulgaria's Justice Minister expressed concern over the fact that the number of foreigners who had received Bulgarian citizenship had tripled in the course of a few years.

She spoke in favor of tightening the regime for granting Bulgarian citizenship and guaranteeing greater transparency.

As regards refugees, she called on Bulgarians to be more tolerant and open-minded.

Zlatanova explained that Bulgaria would receive a total of around BGN 90 M in EU funding to cope with the refugee crisis but emphasized that the sum would not suffice to solve the problem.

"The money will help solve the material aspect of the refugee crisis," she stressed, adding that the problem was new for Bulgaria and called for a calm and rational approach.

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