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### Viewing cable 09SOFIA325, BULGARIA/EC MONITORING TEAM: "HOW DO YOU MAKE

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
09SOFIA325 | 2009-06-26 15:03 | 2010-12-30 21:09 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Sofia

`

    VZCZCXRO9986
    OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR
    DE RUEHSF #0325/01 1771543
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH
    O 261543Z JUN 09
    FM AMEMBASSY SOFIA
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6109
    INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
    RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
    RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
    RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE 0264
    RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
    RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS IMMEDIATE

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SOFIA 000325

    SENSITIVE
    SIPDIS

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/22/2019
    TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON BU
    SUBJECT: BULGARIA/EC MONITORING TEAM: "HOW DO YOU MAKE
    THEM REFORM WHEN THEY DON'T WANT TO?"

    REF: A. SOFIA 0225
    ¶B. 08 SOFIA 0365
    ¶C. 08 SOFIA 0499

    Classified By: DCM Alex Karagiannis for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

    ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: XXXXXXXXXXXX (please strictly protect) confided that
    the July report on Bulgaria's anti-crime and corruption
    efforts would be negative, but the EU political level would
    "water down" the tone of the final version. The report's
    release might be delayed until September because of the
    formation of a new Commission. In contrast to previous
    conversations, XXXXXXXXXXXX emotionally reflected Brussels,
    growing and by now extreme frustration with Sofia's cosmetic
    fixes to get a "good report" while failing to undertake real
    reforms. He confirmed that the Dutch want to invoke the
    safeguard clause when the report is released and that others,
    including the Swedes who hold the next presidency, favor
    extending the Mechanism beyond its three-year mandate. END
    SUMMARY.

    ¶2. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX

    ------------------------------------------
    Judicial Reform -- Fatigue and Frustration
    ------------------------------------------

    ¶3. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX said the monitors raised key issues with
    the GOB such as the appointment procedure for top judicial
    officials, vote buying, and progress in organized crime and
    high-level corruption cases. XXXXXXXXXXXX called the
    appointment/nomination procedure for the top judicial
    officials "non-transparent" because the vote on the nominees
    is secret and does not take into full account disciplinary
    actions against the nominees. Furthermore, the process lacks
    real debate among the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) members
    on the nominees' qualifications and does not allow the
    members to release "opinions" on why they voted for or
    against a nominee. The non-transparent procedure permits the
    selection of corrupt and/or incompetent judges and
    prosecutors to the higher courts, perpetuating the cycle of
    incompetence and corruption in the Bulgarian judiciary.
    XXXXXXXXXXXX said the entire team believes the Bulgarians only
    address issues in the Commission's report to get a "good
    report," not to create a better judicial system. For
    example, Prosecutor General Boris Velchev asked if his
    nomination of a certain person for a position in the
    prosecutor's office would be recorded negatively in the
    upcoming Commission report. They replied to Velchev that if
    he thinks the nomination would be reported negatively, then
    it is a "good sign that it probably would be." XXXXXXXXXXXX
    added that Velchev often asks how he is perceived in Brussels
    when they discuss reforms in the prosecution service.
    Another example is that Sofia City Court has two courtrooms
    specifically available for hearing EU funds fraud cases,
    while available courtrooms for other cases are hard to come
    by.

    ¶4. (C) The Bulgarian government -- especially PG Velchev
    and European Minister Passy -- are lobbying heavily for a
    positive monitoring report, magnifying modest progress. The
    government keeps presenting the Commission a list of on-going
    high profile organized crime and corruption court cases (the
    number has grown from 30 to 52 over the last two and a half
    years) as "successes." Incredibly, several of the "success"
    cases have been suspended. Several other cases, against
    notorious shady businessmen Angel Khristov and Plamen Galev
    AKA the Galevi brothers, and others can hardly be called

    SOFIA 00000325 002 OF 002

    successes as these defendants gained immunity by running for
    parliament. XXXXXXXXXXXX said the team found this "loophole"
    quite disturbing, along with how some Bulgarian officials
    vehemently defend the law that permits this phenomenon.
    Along with the "Galevization" of politics (referring to the
    Galevi brothers election campaign), Brussels is also
    concerned with vote buying and general election fraud.

    ------------------------
    Only Sticks Seem to Work
    ------------------------

    ¶5. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX told us that the Commission feels they have
    "tried everything" to make the Bulgarians reform their
    judicial system, but concluded "how do you make them reform
    when they do not want to?" The government's defensive
    arrogance -- and lack of political will -- is intensifying
    enlargement fatigue in Brussels. He underscored that EC
    pressure via the monitoring reports and withholding EU funds
    are the only ways to produce results. He confirmed media
    reports that Dutch Minister of European Affairs Franz
    Timmermans requested the Commission to consider activating
    the safeguard clause against Bulgaria and Romania when the EC
    releases both reports. (Activating the safeguard clause in
    Justice and Home Affairs would mean that the European Union
    would not recognize Bulgaria's legal decisions and exclude
    Bulgaria from legal and police cooperation.) XXXXXXXXXXXX said
    currently only The Netherlands is demanding the safeguard
    clause, but others are increasingly fed-up with Bulgaria (and
    Romania's) lack of progress. There is talk within the
    Commission about extending the Monitoring and Verification
    Mechanism beyond the three years stated in Bulgaria's and
    Romania's EU Accession Acquis. Sweden, which holds the next
    EU presidency, favors extending the monitoring mechanism and
    is committed to pursue "rule of law issues" in both countries.

    ¶6. (C) The report's release date hinges on EU internal
    political maneuvering for the formation and nomination of
    the new Commission and the election of its next president --
    a process that begins in July. XXXXXXXXXXXX told us that the
    team is preparing the report to be released the last week of
    July, but it may be published the second half of September if
    the new Commission formation is drawn out. The team's report
    will be critical, saying overall reform has stopped, but
    likely the final EC report will be "watered down" as in the
    past for political reasons.

    ¶7. (C) COMMENT: XXXXXXXXXXXX's frustration with the Bulgarian
    government's lame and insincere reform efforts was striking.
    It appears to be spreading in Brussels where at least the
    working level appears to be feeling "buyers remorse" over
    letting Bulgaria and Romania into the club too early.
    According to reliable contacts, Brussels Eurocrats have
    dubbed enlargement fatigue the "Bulgarian Break," further
    tarnishing Bulgaria's bad image within the EU (REFTEL A).
    END COMMENT.
    McEldowney

`