Interesting pronouncements from the European Commission coming in today for Romania and Bulgaria. It looks like the Commission will once again criticize the lack of progress in fighting corruption and in the administration of justice in the EU’s newest members. However, it looks like Bulgaria will be chastised worse this time, due to mismanaging European funds (basically financing political campaigns from offshore bank accounts instead of giving Sapard money to Bulgarian farmers), with two huge operational programmes most likely to be interrupted in Bulgaria. When it comes to Bulgaria the allegations of their deputy prime minister against the Commission for leaking off information to the media (the Bulgarian official saying it is this tip-off that will affect Bulgaria’s image abroad, not the corruption itself) seem to me most strange. (more…)