After spending five years in Bulgaria, the ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany Matthias Hoepfner is now leaving the country. His name will probably be remembered most of all for his open letter during last year’s anti-government protests, in which he and the French ambassador at that time Philippe Autié called on Plamen Oresharski to heed the voice of the protestors.

Throughout his mandate, Hoepfner never stopped criticizing Bulgaria in the depressingly familiar spheres of justice and corruption, but also of freedom of the media. Before his departure from the country, Radio Bulgaria’s Vessela Vladkova met with the ambassador of Germany.

You are leaving the country at a time of political turbulence here in Bulgaria. After last year’s hot political summer, we are now looking ahead to a no less hot autumn with the coming early general election. What last piece of advice would you give your political partners in Bulgaria?
“During my mandate here in Sofia many positive things transpired. We witnessed the awakening of civil society, spearheaded by an emancipated, committed and talented young generation that is open to the world. These young people are manifestly changing the face of Bulgaria. I have seen this happen with my own eyes over the past five years. Now subjects, until recently considered taboo, are being discussed freely and that is a big success for civil society. I would like to stress that in this process, an important and constructive role is played by the President, who has openly been talking about the deficits in society and the problems the country faces. They are first and foremost in the sphere of justice – primarily law enforcement, especially when it comes to the higher reaches of state administration. That is where we are still seeing a certain amount of selectivity when it comes to law enforcement and that discredits them in the eyes of citizens but also of foreign investors. To my mind the fundamental problem is the existence of private economic interests, formed during the transition years that have come to be entangled with politics. But don’t get me wrong – lobbying is a legitimate practice worldwide, including in Germany, but there are certain boundaries that should never be crossed. A state within a state should under no circumstances be allowed to emerge because it undermines the legitimacy of the state bodies and puts a spoke in the wheels of economic development.”

Matthias Hoepfner has called attention to the problems of the media in Bulgaria at many a forum. The German ambassador openly speaks of a “veneer of democracy”. How do things stand now, in his opinion?
“When the media are used by their owners primarily to blatantly serve their own business interests, then these media cannot perform their public or political mission within a democratic society. In the modern democratic society, this is inadmissible and it has to change. To my mind this is one more problem that the next Bulgarian government will have to tackle.”

When five years ago His Excellency Matthias Hoepfner arrived in Bulgaria the country had already become a member of the EU. Has Bulgaria made good use of all opportunities it has been given by its membership during the seven years since its accession to the EU?
“The answer is definitely No! And this is plain to see if we take a look at European fund absorption, especially now when funding has been blocked under several programmes. The problem lies in the procedures for granting funds and their streamlining will be a big challenge for the next Bulgarian government, including for the caretaker cabinet. Transparency in public procurement is paramount and it is only natural for the European Commission to react because it administers the money of the taxpayers in all countries members of the EU. Nonetheless I can say that Bulgaria has of late come to realize how important it is to tackle this problem and with maximum speed.”

In his free time the ambassador can frequently be seen on the ski runs of Bulgaria’s winter resorts or on the beaches of the Black Sea. What are his feelings now that he is leaving Bulgaria and which are the places he would like to revisit?
“That is a very simple question to answer. What I will miss are the magnificent mountains and that is why I am planning a brief ski vacation in Bulgaria next winter. And I hope there will be lots of snow. Sozopol on the Black Sea is another favourite spot of mine. The combination of ancient culture, archaeological excavations and the beautiful coastline is something that is really impressive, that is why I am sure to return there one day.”

English version: Milena Daynova