The Magnitsky Law and the Rico
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
KAS MP SOE Redebeitrag AM En
REPORT Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung MEDIA MONITORING LABORATORY February 2015 Media under their own momentum: www.fmd.bg The deficient will to change www.kas.de Foundation Media Democracy (FMD) and KAS. In summary, the main findings, by the Media Program South East Europe of areas of monitoring, include: the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) present the joint annual report on the MEDIA DISCOURSE state of the Bulgarian media environment in 2014. The study summarises the trends Among the most striking images in the coverage of socio-political constructed by Bulgarian media in 2014 was developments in the country. During the the presentation of patriotism as the monitored period dynamic processes sanctuary of identity. Among the most unfolded – European Parliament elections watched television events during the year and early elections to the National turned to be the Klitschko-Pulev boxing Assembly took place, three governments match. The event inflamed social networks, changed in the country’s governance. morning shows, commentary journalism. It was presented not simply as boxing, but as The unstable political situation has also an occasion for national euphoria. Such affected the media environment, in which a discourse fitted into the more general trend number of important problems have failed of nourishing patriotic passions which to find a solution. During the year, self- through the stadium language, but also regulation was virtually blocked. A vast through the media language, are easily majority of the media continued operating mobilised into street and political forms of at a loss. For many of them the problem symbolic and physical violence against with the ownership clarification remained others (Roma, refugees, the sexually and unresolved. -
Judicial Corruption in Eastern Europe: an Examination of Causal Mechanisms in Albania and Romania Claire M
James Madison University JMU Scholarly Commons Senior Honors Projects, 2010-current Honors College Spring 2017 Judicial corruption in Eastern Europe: An examination of causal mechanisms in Albania and Romania Claire M. Swinko James Madison University Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/honors201019 Part of the International Relations Commons Recommended Citation Swinko, Claire M., "Judicial corruption in Eastern Europe: An examination of causal mechanisms in Albania and Romania" (2017). Senior Honors Projects, 2010-current. 334. https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/honors201019/334 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Honors College at JMU Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Senior Honors Projects, 2010-current by an authorized administrator of JMU Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Judicial Corruption in Eastern Europe: An Examination of Causal Mechanisms in Albania and Romania _______________________ An Honors Program Project Presented to the Faculty of the Undergraduate College of Arts and Letters James Madison University _______________________ by Claire Swinko May 2017 Accepted by the faculty of the Department of Political Science, James Madison University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Honors Program. FACULTY COMMITTEE: HONORS PROGRAM APPROVAL: Project Advisor: John Hulsey, Ph.D., Bradley R. Newcomer, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Political Science Director, Honors Program Reader: John Scherpereel, Ph.D., Professor, Political Science Reader: Charles Blake, Ph. D., Professor, Political Science Dedication For my dad, who supports and inspires me everyday. You taught me to shoot for the stars, and I would not be half the person I am today with out you. -
Macroeconomic Stability, Financial Consolidation Achieved”
“Macroeconomic stability, financial consolidation achieved” Prime Minister Ana Brnabic met in Sofia on Wednesday with Chief Executive Officer of the World Bank Kristalina Georgieva. The meeting came on the eve of the international conference “Stronger Regional Integration in the Balkans,” the Serbian government announced. Brnabic and Georgieva “agreed that Serbia has achieved macroeconomic stability and financial consolidation in the past few years owing to comprehensive economic reforms that are consistently being implemented.” These results were verified by progress on the World Bank’s Doing Business List, where out of 190 countries Serbia ranked 43rd, which is why the World Bank has declared Serbia the reform leader in South East Europe. The meeting focused primarily on the projects of the World Bank in Serbia relating to the fields of infrastructure, energy, health, education, public administration reform, development of the financial sector and small and medium-sized enterprises, the government said. Brnabic informed Georgieva about progress in implementing World Bank’s Program “Strategic Framework for Partnership for the period 2016-2020”, focusing, among other things, on fiscal sustainability, financial and macroeconomic stability and strengthening of institutional capacity. Brnabic and Georgieva also discussed cooperation in the Western Balkans region and the prime minister pointed out that this cooperation is one of the main priorities of the Serbian government. She added that Serbia is committed to becoming stronger because building a common economic area in the Western Balkans region will increase economic growth, reduce unemployment and improve the standard of living of all citizens of the region. When it comes to cooperation between Serbia and Bulgaria, the prime minister pointed out that the construction of the gas pipeline between the two countries is one of the priority projects in the field of energy, whose realization provides for diversification of directions and sources of supply. -
Political Impasse in Bulgaria | May 2021
BULGARIAN CARETAKER GOVERNMENT as of May 2021 The Caretaker Government is positioning itself as one stepping in to manage a smooth transition, improve Bulgaria’s public image and continue the economic/public health recovery. While the vast political and corporate experience of the cabinet members is seen as a reassuring signal, the appointment of Stefan Yanev, the chief presidential security and defense advisor as caretaker PM, as well as the composition of the caretaker Cabinet have led to speculation that President Radev is looking to exert control over the political landscape. If the snap elections scheduled for July do not produce a stable governing coalition, the Caretaker Government is likely to emerge as a major stakeholder Stefan Yanev Prime Minister A retired brigadier general who has served the last four years as security adviser to President Rumen Radev; an alumnus of the National War College in Washington, Defence Minister in the previous caretaker government appointed by Radev in 2017 Deputy Prime Ministers Galab Donev Boyko Rashkov Atanas Pekanov Deputy Prime Minister Deputy Prime Minister for Public Deputy Prime Minister for for Economic and Social Policies Order and Security European Funds Management and Minister of Labour and Social and Minister of the Interior Policy An economist at the Austrian Institute The most iconic figure in the new for Economic Research (WIFO) Former Secretary of Social Policy and Cabinet; rejected by GERB because and doctoral student at the University Health since May 2017, holding the post he interfered with its willingness of Economics and Business (WU Wien), of Minister in the same department to control the SRS (special intelligence where he teaches. -
Democratic Backsliding in Bulgaria Institute for Market Economics
Democratic Backsliding in Bulgaria Institute for Market Economics *Institute for Market Economics is partnering with the "Center for International Private Enterprise" in the initiative "Building Unity and Support for Democratic and Market Values". Contents Intro ......................................................................................................................................................... 2 Democratic Development in Bulgaria ..................................................................................................... 2 Political Landscape .............................................................................................................................. 2 Limits to Prosperity ............................................................................................................................. 5 Democratic Backsliding ....................................................................................................................... 6 Defining the Challenges ........................................................................................................................... 8 Causes of Democratic Backsliding ....................................................................................................... 9 Main Challenges ................................................................................................................................ 11 Judicial System and Corruption ............................................................................................................ -
Bulgarian Marshall Center Alumni Book
Marshall Center Graduates from Republic of Bulgaria Capt Sasho Aleksandrov Language: EN CISS Class: 03-7 LC 2003-7, CPT, Company Commander, Motor Transport, MOD. 2006: Student, Military Academy Defense and Staff College, Rakovsky. As of: April 2008. EMail: [email protected] Tel:359 658 2 11 27 FAX: Ms. Diana Aleksandrova Language: EN CISS Class: 06-1 LPASS 2006-1, Desk Officer, USA and Canada, International Cooperation Directorate, MOD. March 2007: Deputy Chief, Protocol Department. August 2008: Chief, Protocol, State Agency for National Security. As of: April 2009. EMail: [email protected] Tel:359 2 92 20 492 FAX: 359 2 981 58 58 COL Petar Aleksiev Language: EN CISS Class: 07-6 SES 2007-6, COL, Director, Defense Information Service Directorate, MOD. As of: August 2007. EMail: [email protected] Tel:00359 29 227 390 FAX: Mr. Toni Aleksiev Language: RU CISS Class: 08-1 EPASS 2008-1, Head of Criminal Police Group, Police. As of: February 2008. EMail: [email protected] Tel:+056 856 127 FAX: Capt Stoyan Alexandrov Language: EN CISS Class: 99-2 LC 1999-2, CPT, Tank Company Commander, Sofia Garrison, MOD. February 2005: Chief of Staff, 2nd Tank Bn, 9 Bde, Gorna Bania. 2008: Company Commander, 5 Bde, Pleven. As of: April 2009. EMail: Tel:359 2 922 8417 FAX: COL (Ret.) Ilian Alipiev Language: RU CISS Class: 02-4 EP 2002-4, COL, Chief, Counterintelligence Department, MOD. Retired. February 2005: Chief, Government Reserves Agency. As of: February 2005. EMail: [email protected] Tel:359 2 921 0284 FAX: Page 1 of 47 Marshall Center Graduates from Republic of Bulgaria MAJ Hristo Anastasov Language: EN CISS Class: 01-3 LC 2001-3, MAJ, Deputy Chief, Aviation Equipment and Weapons, Unit 26930, MOD. -
Crime and Culture : Breaking New Ground in Corruption Research
SIXTH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION RESEARCH PROJECT: CRIME AND CULTURE Crime as a Cultural Problem. The Relevance of Perceptions of Corruption to Crime Prevention. A Comparative Cultural Study in the EU-Accession States Bulgaria and Romania, the EU-Candidate States Turkey and Croatia and the EU-States Germany, Greece and United Kingdom Dirk Tänzler Konstadinos Maras Angelos Giannakopoulos Crime and Culture Breaking New Ground in Corruption Research Discussion Paper Series No 1 2007 2 Dr. Dirk Tänzler is currently visiting Professor at the University of Zurich 2007, Assistant Professor at the University of Konstanz and Co-ordinator of the EU-Research-Consortium ‘Crime and Culture’ 2006-2008. He was Visiting Professor at Vienna University 2005, 2006, Visiting Lecturer at the University of Luzern 2005-2008, Zeppelin University, Friedrichs- hafen 2006, University of Salzburg 2005, Humboldt University of Berlin 1995, 1996. Director of the Sozialwissenschaftliches Archiv Konstanz (“Alfred-Schütz-Gedächtnis-Archiv)/ Zentralarchiv der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Soziologie 2000-2005, Research Fellow at the University of Konstanz 1999-2000, Research Fellow at the Science Centre Berlin for Social Research (WZB) 1993-1997, Research Fellow at the Institute for Economic Culture at Boston University 1991-1992. He earned his postdoctoral degree (Habilitation) at the University of Konstanz 2005 and his Ph.D. at J.-W. Goethe University of Frankfurt a.M. 1990. His special research and teaching interests are Sociological Theory, Social Philosophy, History of Sociology, Sociology of Knowledge, Sociology of Culture, Political Sociology, Qualitative Methods, Hermeneutics, Media Analysis, Visual Sociology. Dr. Dr. Konstadinos Maras is Lecturer at the University of Tübingen, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Institute of Art History and research assistant at the “European Centre for Scientific, Ecumenical and Cultural Co-operation”, Würzburg, responsible for documentation and research on the European and International Philhellenism. -
Zornitsa Markova the KTB STATE
Zornitsa Markova THE KTB STATE Sofia, 2017 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or express written consent from Iztok-Zapad Publishing House. transmitted in any form or by any means without first obtaining © Zornitsa Markova, 2017 © Iztok-Zapad Publishing House, 2017 ISBN 978-619-01-0094-2 zornitsa markova THE KTB STATE CHRONICLE OF THE LARGEST BANK FAILURE IN BULGARIA — THE WORKINGS OF A CAPTURED STATE THAT SOLD OUT THE PUBLIC INTEREST FOR PRIVATE EXPEDIENCY CONTENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS / 12 EDITOR’S FOREWORD / 13 SUMMARY / 15 READER’S GUIDE TO THE INVESTIGATION / 21 1. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND / 23 DEVELOPMENTS IN THE BULGARIAN BANKING SECTOR THAT PRE-DATE KTB ..........................................................25 Headed for a Banking Crisis .................................................................................................. 26 Scores of Banks Close Their Doors................................................................................... 29 First Private Bank — Backed by the Powerful, Favoured by the Government ......................................................... 33 Criminal Syndicates and Their Banks — the Birth of a State within the State ...........................................................................35 A Post-Crisis Change of Players ..........................................................................................37 A FRESH START FOR THE FLEDGLING KTB ..................................................... 40 KTB SALE ..........................................................................................................................................42 -
Far from Stability: the Post-Election Landscape in Bulgaria Dariusz Kałan
No. 50 (503), 15 May 2013 © PISM Editors: Marcin Zaborowski (Editor-in-Chief) . Katarzyna Staniewska (Managing Editor) Jarosław Ćwiek-Karpowicz . Artur Gradziuk . Piotr Kościński Roderick Parkes . Marcin Terlikowski . Beata Wojna Far from Stability: The Post-Election Landscape in Bulgaria Dariusz Kałan Early parliamentary elections not only will not help restore political stability in Bulgaria but also could further deepen the chaos because of the high dispersion of votes and the expected difficulties with creating a coalition. For a country immersed in crisis, maintaining the post-election stalemate is particularly not beneficial because of the deteriorating economic situation and growing public pressure. Regardless of which party will return to power, one should not expect a significant improvement in Bulgaria’s image in the EU or a positive settlement of the most important issues, including the country’s rapid accession to the Schengen area. Although the winner of the early parliamentary elections of 12 May was the centre-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB, 30% of votes), for all four parties that exceeded the 4% electoral threshold, the results can be seen as satisfactory. GERB, the ruling party in 2009–2013, won for the second time in a row during unfavourable economic and social situations. The similar support for the Bulgarian Socialist Party (27%), which received more than 600,000 additional votes than in 2009, is because of the mobilisation of its permanent electorate and generational changes in the party. Also, for the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (11%), which represents the Turkish minority, and the nationalist Attack party (7%), the results are a confirmation of their stable positions on the political scene. -
HUMAN RIGHTS in BULGARIA in 2013 the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee Is an Independent Non-Governmental Organisation for the Protection of Human Rights
HUMAN RIGHTS IN BULGARIA IN 2013 The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee is an independent non-governmental organisation for the protection of human rights. It was established on 14 July 1992. Chair: Krassimir Kanev Deputy chair: Desislava Simeonova Members of the General Assembly: Antoaneta Nenkova, Daniela Furtunova, Desislava Simeonova, Dimitrina Petrova, Georgi Bankov, Georgi Toshev, Iliana Savova, Ivan Bedrov, Kalina Bozeva, Kiril Ivanov, Krassimir Kanev, Margarita Ilieva, Ramadan Kehajov, Vassil Chaprazov, Valko Stanev, Yana Buhrer Tavanier. Contents Political developments in Bulgaria during 2013 5 Right to life, protection from torture, inhuman and degrading treatment 7 Right to liberty and security of person 12 Independence of the judiciary and fair trial 16 Right to respect for private and family life, home and the correspondence 21 Freedom of conscience and religion 23 Freedom of expression and access to information 26 Conditions in places of detention 33 Protection against discrimination 42 Right to asylum, freedom of movement 53 Women’s rights 60 Rights of the child 64 LGBTI rights 69 List of abbreviations AEJ Association of European Journalists – Bulgaria AIP Access to Information Programme BHC Bulgarian Helsinki Committee BNT Bulgarian National Television BSP Bulgarian Socialist Party CBS Correctional boarding schools CEM Council for Electronic Media CPA Child Protection Act ECHR European Convention on Human Rights ECtHR European Court of Human Rights ESDRA Enforcement of Sentences and Detention under Remand Act FRA EU Fundamental -
“Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria” and Slavi Trifonov's
GENERAL ELECTIONS IN BULGARIA 11TH JULY 2021 Boyko Borissov's “Citizens for European Elections monitor European Development of Bulgaria” Corinne Deloy and Slavi Trifonov's “Such a People Exist” neck and neck after the parliamentary elections RESULT Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB, Turnout was low. It totalled 38.0%. There are several which means "shield" in Bulgarian), led by former Prime reasons for this: the holidays, the increase in the number Minister (2009-2013, 2014-2017 and 2017-2021) Boyko of voting machines which may have discouraged some Borissov, and Such a People Exist (Ima takuv narod, voters, especially the older ones, but also, and above ITN), a populist party founded by singer and TV all, the weariness of Bulgarians with their political class. presenter Slavi Trifonov finished in a tight race in the 11 Finally, the high abstention rate is also the result of a July parliamentary elections in Bulgaria. ITN won decline in vote buying according to Parvan Simeonov, 24.08% of the vote and 65 MPs, while GERB won director of the Gallup International Institute in Bulgaria. 23.51% of the vote and 63 MPs. The Socialist Party (BSP) led by Korneliya Ninova took 13.51% of the vote, followed by the liberal coalition Democratic Bulgaria led by Hristo Ivanov, which includes 3 parties (Yes Bulgaria, Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria and the Greens), which won 12.56%. The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), a party representing the Turkish minority, led by Mustafa Karadayi, obtained 10.66% of the vote. Finally, the coalition Get up Bulgaria ! Mafia, get out! (Izpravi se BG! Moutri van!) of former ombudsman Maya Manolova and the Poisoned Trio (the name given by journalist Sasho Dikov to the trio comprising lawyer Nikolai Hadjigenov, sculptor Velislav Minekov and public relations specialist and former radio journalist Arman Babikyan) secured 5.06% of the vote and will be represented in the next National Assembly (Narodno sabranie), the only chamber of the Parliament. -
“Balkan Stream”: Romania Instead of Bulgaria?
“Balkan Stream”: Romania instead of Bulgaria? With the export leg of the Turkish Stream (TurkStream) gas pipeline, designed to bring Russian natural gas along the Balkan route further to Europe, slated to go fully on-stream in late 2020 – early 2021, all transit countries need to timely fulfill their obligations to get their national gas transportation infrastructure prepared for this. Thus far, Serbia has moved closest to achieving this target, while Bulgaria’s position on this issue is causing a growing sense of bewilderment in Russia, which might be forced to change the pipeline’s route and replace its Bulgarian section with a Romanian one as a transit option. The Russian and Serbian presidents, Vladimir Putin and Aleksandar Vučić, discussed issues pertaining to the construction of a trans-Balkan route for transporting Russian gas to Europe, during their December 4 meeting in Sochi. President Putin confirmed that Serbia could participate in the gas transit via the Turkish Stream pipeline, even despite the fact that the prospect is called into question by Russia’s partners in the Balkans and Eastern Europe. “Yes, it is possible,” Putin concluded, adding that the Serbian stretch of the Turkish Stream pipeline, running from Bulgaria to Hungary, is almost finished now. “As for Serbia’s possible participation in the transit of Russian gas through TurkStream – yes, it’s possible. As a matter of fact, all our partners in the Balkans and in Eastern Europe raise this question. We are ready,” Vladimir Putin confirmed at a joint news conference following talks with his Serbian counterpart. He also accused Bulgaria of deliberately delaying the construction of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline, and threatened to find alternative options for implementing this project if Sofia refuses to come along.