Brussels, 24/05/2013 (Agence Europe) - The leaders of the EPP and S&D Groups at the European Parliament, Joseph Daul and Hannes Swoboda, clashed on Thursday over the the Bulgarian political situation, which they used as a pretext to accuse each other of hypocrisy and double speak. During Thursday morning, in Strasbourg, and then in a press release, the French leader of the EPP had expressed his concern about the possibility that the Bulgarian Socialists might become allies of the anti-European party, the nationalistic and xenophobic Ataka party, in order to form a government after the controversial election of 12 May.
Speaking to his Austrian counterpart, Swoboda, Joseph Daul said: “The Bulgarian Socialists do not rule out official or unofficial support from the Ataka party in their search for a majority. If I am to believe your statements, the latter would be ready to swallow the bitter pill. Would you be the hostage of Stanishev, the president of the Bulgarian Socialist Party and president of the Party of European Socialists?” Daul went on to say: “I put this question to you, Mr Swoboda - is the tacit support from procedures at the Sofia parliament not of a kind to compromise such a government? Mainly towards Europe? Are these not double standards?”
The answer burst from the Austrian official who called on Daul and the EPP to put their own houses in order, the Austrian saying he had no lessons to learn from a party that includes not only the GERB party of the former Bulgarian prime minister, Boïko Borissov, who was regularly involved in illegal phone tapping scandals, but also the Fidesz party under Viktor Orban, whose relations with European principles are equally delicate. “I am pleased not to have anyone of this kind in my group”, retorted Swoboda. The winner of elections by a small lead, Boïko Borissov threw in the towel on Thursday 23 May given that it was impossible to gather a majority and to form a government. The three other parties - PSB Socialists, MDL Liberals and Ataka ulta-nationalists - joined forces against GERB. The Bulgarian president, Rossen Plevneliev, therefore designated the economist, Plamen Orecharski, the candidate put forward by the Socialist Party, to the task of forming a government. (SP/transl.jl)