Misrepresentation?

Sometimes the UK press seems to report on the worst tabloid features of Bulgaria in ways that reflect the old stereotypes. A recent tabloid article, for example, referred to "Bulgaria brutes". Do the British tabloids "have it in" for Bulgaria – or Eastern Europe?

"No, I don’t think they ‘have it in’ for Bulgaria any more than any other particular story they’re running about what happens in the UK. The old adage that ‘good news is no news’ is, unfortunately, all too correct," says the ambassador.

Does the case of Alan and Sylvia Cantwell – a couple brutally attacked by armed intruders in their home in the Bulgarian countryside - indicate that Bulgaria is becoming more violent for British expats? And, if so, what advice would he give to British expats moving to Bulgaria?

"The Cantwells were subject to a vicious assault," Williams says. "That was a horrific and distressing experience and the police investigation into that attack is continuing. Thankfully, it’s an isolated case. We certainly have no evidence that British nationals in Bulgaria are a particular target for criminal groups by virtue of being British. Nor do I see evidence of Bulgaria becoming more violent. The vast majority of nationals settled here don’t experience problems, but when such incidents do occur it’s obviously distressing.

Hundreds of thousands of people come to Bulgaria every year. Most have trouble-free holidays and have happy memories of their visit. Having said that, we must see what lessons can be learnt to reduce the incidence of these kinds of crimes."

Williams does not believe there is any "Bulgaria-specific" advice he can give to new British residents, other than standard warnings to those relocating. "Assess the security needs of a particular property in relation to its location and possible seclusion and assess its relative value compared to surrounding properties," he says.

He says it’s difficult to gauge how many British people live permanently in Bulgaria. "Questions about statistics – they say ‘lies, damn lies and statistics’– are always tricky because it’s difficult to put an accurate figure. But our best estimate is that there are about 5000 permanent residents, maybe slightly more.

Most of those permanent residents live in villages and small towns inland around Veliko Turnovo. Many also live in properties at the Black Sea and ski resorts. Other British people do not qualify as permanent residents because they come for shorter periods of the year."

Off the beaten track
Williams is genuinely attached to Bulgaria. Unlike some ambassadors who gush about the attractions of a particular country, he’s a sincere Bulgarophile. So what are his favourite places?

"There are so many highlights. Just as a citizen of Sofia I’d say that Vitosha is a favourite; finding new places, getting to the national park within a 30-minute drive is incredible. As for Sofia itself, I have a bias towards the city centre – exploring cafes, shops, the market stalls of Graf Ignatiev and the bookstores of Slaveikov Square. These are just random examples from Sofia. I could talk all day about the amazingly diverse things in Bulgaria."

The embassy even has a list of the 500 must-see in Bulgaria. "I’d also highlight those parts of the country that were off limits to western diplomats when I was here in the 1980s, such as the Rhodope and Strandja National Park as well as revisiting old favourites like Plovdiv and Veliko Turnovo."  

And what annoys him the most about Bulgaria?
"The good things vastly outweigh the negatives. It has wonderful and incredibly diverse scenery within a compact area and a fantastic cultural heritage, not to mention the warmth of the people. But if I had to pinpoint a negative, it would have to be the rubbish. It’s such a pity when you see beautiful areas of the countryside littered with plastic bottles. Just in terms of sustainable tourism, tackling the litter problem will be an important challenge."

Above all, the carnage on the roads, the alarmingly high death rate and deficient driving worry him greatly. "Fifteen people were killed over the last four-day holiday. And there are a couple of minor irritations - both car-related. In Sofia I get irritated when I see other drivers queue-jump by getting into the wrong lane to turn left, for example. In particular, I get very annoyed by cowboy taxi firms who charge 10 times the normal rate  - quite legally, I have to say - thanks to small print on their back windows. I can’t understand why the authorities don’t clamp down on that."

Discrimination
The growth in far-right rhetoric from nationalist parties in Eastern Europe brings to mind perhaps Bulgaria’s most conspicuously socially disadvantaged group – the Roma. In particular, even those of an "enlightened" persuasion in Bulgaria are willing to admit to disliking Roma. In the UK, by contrast, derogatory comments about minorities are comparatively rare, at least from the liberal intelligentsia. So what can be done?

"The question of social inclusion in all societies is a challenging one," says Williams. "In particular, how to include minority groups as well as the poorest and most isolated members of society. Approaching the whole issue of integration is complex. One should be careful of transplanting what worked in one country to another and preaching about what to do. Clearly, however, Roma involve some of the most marginal members of society in terms of income levels. Harnessing that community’s potential for Bulgaria’s long-term social and economic prosperity is important."

Williams says that the UK’s sometimes stormy history of race relations shows us that improvements are not possible overnight. "In the UK we saw that it takes a lot of time to break down prejudice. For it to work it has to be approached from both sides, so I don’t in any way underestimate the difficulties or length of time it will take.

But it’s vital to support that process of better integrating Roma into our society. Here at the embassy we have small-scale projects to that end. For example, a Roma student came and spent the day with us to learn about what we did, to signal that places like our embassy are committed to promoting equal opportunities."

Ambassador Williams’ second posting to Bulgaria ends in 2011. His wife Fiona, a qualified Montessori school teacher, co-ordinates the English stall at the IWC fair and helps with other charitable causes. They have three children, all based in the UK, but all of whom enjoy visiting Sofia regularly.