An vitality “shame” roams Bulgaria – 2024-07-07 17:43:50

/ world right now information/ The circus surrounding the sale of CEZ clearly confirmed why all severe international buyers are fleeing the nation

The entire vaudeville surrounding the sale of CEZ’s Bulgarian belongings to the petty “Inercom” would have been humorous if it hadn’t been as tragic because it was harmful. Not as a result of the deal may fall via, subscribers may lose energy, or the federal government would possibly fall. And since it reveals how rotten the entire nation is. How no legal guidelines – neither Bulgarian nor worldwide, matter when the sanity of the rulers is at stake. As a result of it clearly confirmed the few international buyers who remained in Bulgaria that they can not depend on the truth that in the event that they comply with the foundations, their pursuits will likely be protected and their property inviolable.

The deal for CEZ’s belongings in Bulgaria has been “baking” for a yr. Potential patrons have been recognized for months. It’s about altering the possession of enterprises that may flip 40% of the nation’s territory right into a discotheque if for some purpose there’s a disturbance within the system. In observe, over 3 million subscribers in Western Bulgaria are potential hostages of the (im)correct administration of the electrical energy community.

All through this yr, whereas the negotiations have been happening, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov was passing. Not less than in public. 5 days after the collection of the customer, he claimed that it was unthinkable for the state to intrude in contracts between “personal entities”. However then he immediately made a U-turn and ordered a great deal of inspections – by the Nationwide Tax Service, the tax authorities, the Monetary Supervision Authority, the KEVR. The rationale – Czech and Bulgarian media started to report disturbing details about the sources of funding for the transaction. On Wednesday, the prime minister was already shocked and introduced that the sale should be stopped in any respect prices. Not as a result of his subordinates reported one thing embarrassing to him, however as a result of he acquired an inventory of banks and corporations that may assist the CEZ deal by e-mail. The flyer was filed within the secret part of the parliament, and the deputies started writing a regulation to cease a deal that had already been concluded on the territory of a international nation.

Assuming all that is true,

the prime minister of Bulgaria is essentially the most naive

or an ignorant individual in our nation. And all particular companies ought to be instantly closed as a result of they aren’t doing their job – they noticed nothing suspicious in Ginka Varbakova’s ambitions to make a quantum leap from the photovoltaic enterprise to commanding the facility grid of your entire Western Bulgaria with the assist of secret gamers and offshore capital. Logically, the query arises why the price range offers tens of millions to such buildings yearly and why they’re continuously given new and new powers to eavesdrop, monitor, search, if they didn’t alert the prime minister concerning the ready deal, which could possibly be harmful for nationwide safety.

Yesterday, nonetheless, it grew to become clear that the companies did some exercise in spite of everything, as they’ve recognized and adopted CEZ’s makes an attempt to withdraw from Bulgaria for years and have detailed details about the candidates about their belongings and even about their affords. I.e. the companies know every thing and that is precisely why they do not react. Or they react, however their boss ignores them. As a result of every thing is correct. However the trick did not undergo, the deal went bitter, the general public bristled.

And Borisov in his common model

went into conspiracy mode

– blamed the “bastards” who once more wish to overthrow him (as in 2013, when he himself resigned, frightened by the protests in opposition to the excessive electrical energy payments). Which once more raised the query of the effectivity of the companies. So somebody is attempting to shake up the federal government, and the particular companies are napping or taking a very long time? If DANS doesn’t react to such “threats”, it betrays both incompetence or malice. In that case, why hasn’t the prime minister requested for the resignation of the DANS management but?

The CEZ scandal confirmed one other absurdity. Vitality is essentially the most regulated trade in Bulgaria – and for his or her smallest intentions, firms should obtain approval from the KEVR, and that after lengthy negotiations and canards. Nevertheless, it has now turn into clear that KEVR, which points and revokes licenses, inspects and fines, is definitely a silent letter when there’s a hazard of a key vitality enterprise falling into unknown fingers. The state of affairs is similar with the FSC, the CPC, and a bunch of different supposedly unbiased our bodies with numerous powers and big budgets. Now the regulation will likely be amended once more, extra powers will likely be given, and so forth.

To make the state of affairs much more absurd, the subsequent day after the “revelation” of the plot to overthrow the cupboard, Borissov determined that the state would purchase CEZ-Bulgaria and be carried out with it! It isn’t even value mentioning the truth that two days earlier he swore that there was no method to nationalize personal belongings, as insisted not solely by the opposition BSP, but in addition by its coalition accomplice Ataka. The prime minister has lengthy made the flick, twist and switch his trademark. We is not going to point out the truth that GERB is a celebration of the European proper and it doesn’t go well with the leftists and populists with such initiatives. On this case, nonetheless, Borisov is attempting to impress upon us that the state is the one good proprietor of the ERP, which can assure that there will likely be electrical energy for everybody from the guts. Actually? The identical nation, which has all doable technique of gathering data and management, couldn’t or didn’t wish to intervene in time within the transaction with CEZ? Or as a result of now we have very “good” practices with state-owned firms within the vitality sector, and never solely these which might be drowning in debt, however

are a dream feeder for each celebration shot?

Nicely, whereas the ERPs have been state-owned, they have been dropped at a beggar’s stick? And after the privatization, during which the state stored 33% – allegedly to regulate them and shield the general public curiosity – it despatched loyal personnel resembling Mitko Karatista, Pasha’s man, former accomplice of Boyko Borisov, to the boards. Is there even one instance of a well-run state-owned firm?

Borisov’s “genius” plan, nonetheless, nonetheless has a number of obstacles. For instance – that “Inercom” already has a signed contract with CEZ. At first, this did not appear to be a stumbling block within the eyes of the prime minister, who’s used to getting every thing he desires – in spite of everything, we’re speaking about an individual who single-handedly stops and begins a mission like Belene NPP and cancels public procurement due to “floating doubts”. However on this case, it turned out that his Czech colleague shouldn’t be very inclined to trample on the legal guidelines and unceremoniously throw out the already chosen investor. And Borisov needed to “persuade” the identical Ginka Varbakova, whom he had disaffected a day earlier, to turn into a accomplice with the state. We are able to solely guess how the dialog between the 2 went, however after that

the bold girl was already prepared for something,

regardless of the prime minister needs – 34%, 50%, 100% of the corporate… Yesterday, right now, tomorrow… It would not matter – the girl urgently rushes to the Czech Republic to persuade CEZ to run.

After all, there stays the “small” query of the place the billions will come from for the “repurchase” of the ERPs. And could not CEZ’s belongings have been purchased cheaper? In keeping with the knowledge of DANS, an evaluation of one of many candidate patrons of CEZ confirmed that they aren’t value greater than 220 million euros, i.e. they’re drastically overestimated within the “Inercom” supply. Ought to cash be wasted like this simply because the federal government failed the deal after which determined to oust the chosen purchaser?

In truth, the important thing subject right here is

why CEZ desires to flee from Bulgaria

within the quickest means doable and why no respected firm desires to step instead. Unusual as it could appear, this query can also be requested publicly by these in energy, within the individual of Valentin Nikolov, deputy from GERB, for instance. They usually themselves give the right reply – the enterprise atmosphere in Bulgaria is horrible. That is why nobody thinks of investing in a rustic with no justice system, the place legal guidelines change hourly in keeping with the temper of this and that, the place forms and corruption suffocate anybody who desires to play by the foundations… The humorous factor is, that GERB has dominated with small interruptions for the previous 10 years, however doesn’t see any blame for the state of affairs in itself. Once more, the triple coalition and Plamen Oresharski’s cupboard are in charge. Conveniently forgetting that it was Borisov who threatened to revoke the licenses of CEZ and their colleagues, as a result of they have been solely creating complications, elevating costs, and distracting themselves from investments. He used to ship them inspectors from DANS, KEVR, NRA and prosecutors. It’s exactly due to this harassment that each one three ERPs are suing Bulgaria for lots of of tens of millions of euros in Washington.

Boyko Borisov can hug day-after-day with EC President Jean-Claude Juncker and take photos with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, he will be skilled as a guiding star for your entire Balkan Peninsula, however Bulgaria is not going to quickly be accepted both within the Eurozone or in Schengen. And the prime minister can see the rationale for this by merely wanting within the mirror!