The remark “Colleagues, don't go home“ has become one of the most memorable quotes of the week. With it, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Interior called on the police not to stop the actions against vote buying even during the holidays. Against the backdrop of nearly 1 million euros of seized funds and about 200 people detained for vote trading, as well as the lack of contestation of the election result, new questions arise - what's next and why.
On these and other key topics, the investigative journalist from “24 hours“ and editor-in-chief of “168 hours“ commented Slavi Angelov.
One of the topics that aroused public interest is the figure known as “Potato“. “Potato is a gentleman with 15 convictions for various crimes, who at the same time has a very nice business donated by the state, from which he earns millions of euros per month.“ According to Angelov, the problem is not isolated: “Such "potatoes" are everywhere around us, in all spheres of life.“
He emphasizes that these practices are systematic: “These schemes are absolutely everywhere, in absolutely everything around us… This is the model of the Bulgarian economy in the last 20 years.“ The journalist gives examples – from highway construction to seemingly small activities such as placing pegs in cities: “The pegs cost 20 leva, but when they put them in, they tell you they cost 100 leva.“
Angelov also points out paradoxes in key social systems: “Our healthcare is free in principle, but you have to pay for absolutely everything.“
“Education is also free, but if your children don't go to private lessons, nothing will happen to them.“
According to him, the outcome is clear and proven in other countries: “The statistics show it. In Romania, after the judicial reform and the pressure against corruption, extremely good economic results were achieved. But Bulgaria missed a key point: “We missed to carry out lustration… and currently we continue to be governed by structures connected in one way or another with the State Security.“
“The big mafia in Bulgaria, for me, is the big political parties and the economic circles connected to them“, said Angelov. On the judicial reform: “Just changing people is not enough“ Regarding the resignation of Borislav Sarafov, the journalist is categorical: “This is a new “hello“, of course.“
And he criticizes the way the reform is understood in our country: “Politicians imagine the judicial reform as changing the Prosecutor General… this sounds like removing someone to put another in.“
Angelov gives examples of countries that are often underestimated: “Compared to the Albanians, we are like Albanian referents in the judicial reform. They are in space in front of us.“ He explains how the model works there: “All employees of the prosecutor's office and the court are subject to selection and 50% of them are replaced.“ The process includes: “Your status is checked - what kind of car do you drive, where do you live... If you can't prove your income - you leave.“
Angelov also draws attention to another serious problem: “The slow justice system in Bulgaria is really crushing business.“ According to him, the solution is clear: “Such bodies must be created and a total selection must begin.“ And he warns: “If this does not happen, there will be very strong tension.“
Source: btvnovinite.bg