For years, my mom has made a tradition of giving my sister and me tacky but fun gifts, often in the form of socks, each American holiday. Even when I left for college, my mom continued the tradition, mailing me packages filled with cheap candy and a new pair of crazy holiday socks. This past October, I waited in anticipation for my Halloween package. By the time the package arrived, I tore it open out of excitement. As I emptied its contents, I was disheartened to see the limited treasures I found within. All I found were two magazines and a post-it note my mom had placed on an article she thought I would like to read. Upon sifting through its contents once more, I noticed a small, ripped clothing tag lying at the bottom of the package. I then became aware how bizarre it was that my package was sealed with "official" Sofia postal tape. It then dawned on me that someone had stolen my socks.

I was pissed. I still am pissed. It is not as though the person who stole my socks needed them to keep themselves warm in the winter. They were crappy, cotton weird Halloween socks from Target, and they belonged to me. My disappointment over a lost pair of socks put to mind a series of frustrations that have led me to question Bulgaria's readiness to enter the European Union in 2007.

Another example that has led me to doubt Bulgaria's EU membership involves my apartment and our landlady. About a month ago, my roommate and I were approached about an increase in our rent. Our landlady's explanation for the sudden raise was based on a conversation she recently had with a friend of hers who is a real-estate broker in Sofia. Upon learning that our apartment was in fact worth nearly 25 percent more than what she had previously asked, and despite the agreed price stated on our contract, our landlady insisted we either pay the increase or find a new home. After several weeks of discussion, we negotiated a new figure for rent in spite of our frustration towards the complete violation of our previously stated agreement. According to our landlady, she had signed our "contracts" merely as a gesture of respect, knowing that's how we conduct business in America. More importantly however, she explained that this gesture did not mean she actually had to adhere to the contract, as it was more like a sign of friendship. "That is just not how it is done in Bulgaria." I have recently learned that this is not a unique situation and can be found even in the most important of executive decisions regarding the future of Bulgaria.

While conducting an interview (as part of my research) with a representative from a local think tank, we began discussing the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) closures. One primary condition the European Union has demanded of Bulgaria if they are to be considered for EU membership next year are the closures of Units 3 and 4. However, this has become a highly contested debate. A high percentage of Bulgarians fear that the closure of KNPP Units 3 and 4 will bring power shortages and a greater dependence on energy imports. Unfortunately, the public, and especially the Bulgarian government, ignore the reality that Bulgaria signed a contract in 1993 known as the Nuclear Safety Account, promising they would close down KNPP Units 1 through 4 by 1998, accepting 24 million ECU in exchange. Well, 1998 rolled around and Bulgaria was nowhere near closing down any of the four reactors though the money was long gone. In 1999, the EU required Bulgaria to set a realistic timeline for the decommissioning of the KNPP reactors. Units 1 and 2 were closed as scheduled in December 2002, and Units 3 and 4 are supposed to close by 2006. However, the government has led the public to believe that this is still not a decision that has been set in stone. All that has been done is the signing of a contract. Obviously, the idea of a binding contract represents a more flexible definition then one familiar to the West. What will be interesting is whether the EU will let Bulgaria get away with it.

Personally, I do not think the EU will let Bulgaria violate the agreement once again and still be allowed to become a member in 2007. Disregarding such an important agreement should be enough proof that Bulgaria is not ready to be part of the European Union. Becoming a member of the EU is about respecting, and more importantly, adhering to a set of rules agreed upon by the entire community. A community which Bulgaria hopes to join.

Perhaps joining the EU will ensure the arrival of my socks. However, I have found that EU membership is not threatened by acts of superficial petty crime, but from a required institutional change in mentality towards the way people do things around here. Despite the EU's claims regarding the danger and safety risk that the KNPP poses, Bulgaria argues that it should be their own final decision to close the reactors, not the EU's. Despite the agreement signed and money accepted in 1993 and 1999, Bulgaria believes they should have the final say. Regardless of how many socks they safely deliver or contracts they sign, I do not believe Bulgaria is prepared to submit to the EU only to become another small member of a union comprised of a number of officious nations. Furthermore, they have much to prove before they can ensure credibility of their signatures and the arrival of both pairs of socks. One sock will not do anyone any good, just as a signed contract is meaningless unless Bulgaria intends to fulfil its promise.