BULGARIA:Bulgaria's prime minister, Sergei Stanishev, sacked three cabinet ministers yesterday to avert the threatened loss of millions in EU aid over Sofia's failure to tame corruption and crime.
Bulgaria is under strong pressure to show tangible results in fighting corruption and organised crime ahead of an EU report this summer that could recommend sanctions against Sofia.
Mr Stanishev dismissed agriculture minister Nihat Kabil, health minister Radoslav Gaidarski and defence minister Veselin Bliznakov, the government's press office said. The socialist prime minister also appointed a vice-premier to control all EU aid, after Brussels froze some pre-accession farm and roads funds over suspicions of fraud.
Meglena Plugchieva, Bulgaria's ambassador to Germany, will be in charge of the €11 billion in EU funding earmarked for Sofia for 2007-2013, the statement said.
"The interior ministry scandal . . . weakened trust not only in the ministry but in the government and the ruling coalition," Mr Stanishev told a party gathering.
"Politically it is right and necessary to make serious cabinet changes . . . We need to find solutions at a high level," he said.
Bulgaria's image suffered a severe blow when senior police officials were arrested last month. Two prominent Bulgarians were assassinated shortly afterwards.
Interior minister Rumen Petkov quit earlier this month over his failure to rid his scandal-tainted ministry of corrupt officials.
- (Reuters)