Lifting the Lid on Lobbying in Bulgaria

There is practically limitless influence of business interests over the everyday life of Europeans.

Construction works on the seaside coast, cut out forests, health system that consumes billions but provides health to no one. How did this happen?

It happened in the dark. There has been and still there is a process of making legislation “upon request”. Decisions are being taken with vague motives and questionable benefit. The large-scale economic interests have practically married the state government and the political class. All is being decided upon behind the insurmountable stone walls of the buildings of political power.

We are Europeans by one indicator only – the percentage of distrust in state government. The Global Corruption Barometer of Transparency International demonstrates that in the European Union, as well as in Bulgaria, the majority of people believe that the government is under the influence of significant private interests. The level of influence brings us closer to the definition of the World Bank for state capture by powerful economic circles through illegitimate channels.

Transparency International has looked for an answer to the question “why?” What is going wrong?

The full text of the article by Transparency International-Bulgaria’s executive director Mr. Kalin Slavov is published in “Trud” Daily (in Bulgarian).