The EU has threatened the member states from Central and Eastern Europe that it may reduce or directly suspend their financing if they violate the principle of the rule of law. Bulgaria is also among that group of EU member states. Moreover, it is one of the countries which would be affected the most should the EU decide to impose financial sanctions on those states. Sofia’s sensibility of the EC warning is mainly due to two reasons. Bulgaria is perhaps the EU member state that is subject to biggest criticism. The country has been subject to extremely heavy criticism in almost all public and economic spheres. Bulgaria’s judicial system has been under fire from Brussels due to its inefficient functioning. Since its accession to the European Union 10 years ago Bulgaria has been subject to monitoring in the justice and home affairs fields. Once a year the European Commission publishes a report on the progress of that country in the abovementioned spheres and gives Bulgaria recommendations as to what do until the next report. Sofia perceived until recently quite painfully the EU criticism expressed in those reports. However, is seems that this country already got used to that criticism and now it only agrees with the ascertainments and the reproaches about the lack of reforms and progress in the monitored fields. However, it wouldn’t be so bad if this criticism was only at a verbal level. Unfortunately, the criticism about the lack of progress in the justice and home affairs together with the ascertainments that the rule of law has not happened yet have real dimensions. Bulgaria has not yet become a member of the Schengen Area, although Sofia believes that it has already fulfilled all technical requirements and criteria. Moreover, it affects many Bulgarian tourists visiting Schengen member states. Secondly, Sofia has neither adopted the Euro, nor entered the Eurozone waiting room yet. The Bulgarian authorities believe that they have done everything necessary, so that their country can enter the Eurozone waiting room (The ERM II Mechanism), but Bulgaria has not been allowed to the ERM II Mechanism for political reasons. To make things even worse, some member states, including Bulgaria, have been threatened that they may lose some EU funding. According to analysts, The European Union is not very likely to resort to that extreme measure. The union rather wants to send signals to some states such as Poland and Hungary which have started to lead a quite independent domestic policy which irritates Brussels. Under those circumstances, Bulgaria has also started to feel as a potential victim to possible sanctions from the EU. If the EU decides to resort to such measures it would be extremely painful to Bulgaria, because it is perhaps the EU member state that depends on EU funds the most. In 2016 only 90% of the public investments in infrastructure were financed with EU money. So far Sofia has received from Brussels over EUR 10 billion, which amounts to nearly 3% of the country’s gross domestic product. It is expected to absorb another EUR 10 billion during the current programming period until 2020.

Due to the EU funds Bulgaria’s capital Sofia now has a wonderful underground. Moreover, hundreds of kilometers of motorways and main roads were built with EU money. Many Bulgarian villages were renovated, the Bulgarian farmers received a lot of money from the EU funds and the country’s environment has been improved with EU financing. A possible reduction or suspension of EU funds would mean a catastrophe for Bulgaria and the ordinary people would feel directly the lack of European financing.

The Bulgarians suffer the most when someone dips into their pockets. This is what Brussels is about to do. Apparently such measure would scare many Bulgarians and make them think and be more active, so there will be rule of law in this country.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov