Martin Schulz: EU warning to new Bulgarian government

The leader of The Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the EP Martin Schulz today issued a warning on the newly-sworn government of Bulgaria not to spare any effort in preserving and further promoting the social achievements for the citizens of the country

Said Mr. Schulz: "The Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the EP noted the results of the recent parliamentary elections in Bulgaria and the election of a new government of the country;

We are particularly alarmed that the winners at the elections and the party appointing the government - GERB - member of the EPP, received a full support by the extreme right party ATAKA both in the form of signing a memorandum for support and by the vote in the Bulgarian Parliament. By that the Bulgarian nationalists are considered as part of the new parliamentary majority".

Socialists&Democrats Group leader insisted that the Group "will follow the actions of the government and the majority in the Bulgarian Parliament and will decisively obте проject any actions or declarations promoting nationalism, xenophobia, revenge or intolerance. These would contradict the basic principles of democracy and human rights upon which the European Union is built".

"We call upon the new government in Bulgaria not to spare any effort in preserving and further promoting the social achievements for the citizens of the country. The protection and the promotion of the social rights is even more important in a period of a deep crisis of the world economy", said Martin Schulz

"The S&D Group urges the new government of Bulgaria to actively engage in solving all the remaining problems and shortcomings in the country, namely in the field of justice and home affairs, subject to a specially created Co-operation and Verification Mechanism as well as the absorption capacity and the proper spending of the European funds. We remind the Bulgarian authorities that these issues are a must and the European institutions will continue to closely monitor all the developments in that field until satisfactory results are achieved.