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Sat, May 26 2012
Bulgaria's Roumyana Zheleva quits as candidate European Commissioner
Roumyana Zheleva.
Photo: Tsvetelina Angelova
Bulgaria's controversial European Commissioner-designate Roumyana Zheleva has withdrawn as a candidate and has offered to resign as her country's Foreign Minister.
The Foreign Ministry in Sofia confirmed on January 19 2010 that Zheleva had written to Prime Minister Boiko Borissov asking to be released from all her posts. She asked Borissov to nominate a replacement candidate Commissioner.
Borissov accepted her withdrawal from the European Commission candidacy but declined to accept her resignation as Foreign Minister.
At a news conference, European People's Party leader Joseph Daul expressed regret at Zheleva's decision and hit out at political opponents for their campaign against her.
In her letter to Borissov, Zheleva expressed bitterness at the campaign against her and the false allegations that she had lied, as well as the portrayal of her as incompetent.
She thanked all those in Bulgaria, in the EPP and Daul for standing by her with unwavering support and in the "struggle for justice in this case".
On January 19, the development committee of the European Parliament had been scheduled to vote, member by member, on a recommendation on Zheleva, who has been under fire from political rivals and in the media for underperforming in a January 12 2010 confirmation hearing in which she faced questions about shortcomings in her disclosures of business interests and about her proposed portfolio, international co-operation, humanitarian aid and emergency response.
The full meeting of the committee, to be held behind closed doors, was called after a meeting on June 18 of leaders of political groups in the committee failed to reach consensus on Zheleva.
Between them, the anti-Zheleva camp, including socialists, liberals, Greens and leftists, could muster more votes than Zheleva's sole backers, the centre-right EPP, making the outcome of a vote against Zheleva a near-certainty.
There have been a number of public calls for Zheleva to be withdrawn, with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov and European Commission Jose Barroso being urged to pull Zheleva out of contention to spare her the public humiliation of a vote against her -- and to avert the risk of the entire "Barroso II" Commission being sunk because of Zheleva being its Jonah.
European Parliament lawyers cleared Zheleva of wrongdoing in her disclosure of business interests as a candidate Commissioner, but indicated that there appeared to be a discrepancy in her disclosures when she was an MP, when official records showed her as having signed documents as manager of Global Consult. It has been suggested that this may have been no more than a technical error.
Speaking to Bulgarian National Television (BNT) on January 19, Andrei Kovachev, head of the delegation of Borissov's GERB party at the European Parliament, said that the issue of the MEP declaration could be the result of a error in Bulgaria's Commercial Register.
Kovachev, as EPP leadership had done previously, insisted that those who had made allegations against Zheleva regarding her disclosures should apologise.
However, Ivailo Kalfin, Zheleva's predecessor as Bulgaria's foreign minister and now an MEP for Bulgaria's socialists, said that Zheleva had admitted at the time of the hearings that there had been a mistake in her disclosure, the issue would have gone away then.
The real problem was her complete lack of competence for the Commissioner's role for which she had been proposed, and the EPP had not arguments to refute this, Kalfin told BNT.
The Foreign Ministry in Sofia confirmed on January 19 2010 that Zheleva had written to Prime Minister Boiko Borissov asking to be released from all her posts. She asked Borissov to nominate a replacement candidate Commissioner.
Borissov accepted her withdrawal from the European Commission candidacy but declined to accept her resignation as Foreign Minister.
At a news conference, European People's Party leader Joseph Daul expressed regret at Zheleva's decision and hit out at political opponents for their campaign against her.
In her letter to Borissov, Zheleva expressed bitterness at the campaign against her and the false allegations that she had lied, as well as the portrayal of her as incompetent.
She thanked all those in Bulgaria, in the EPP and Daul for standing by her with unwavering support and in the "struggle for justice in this case".
On January 19, the development committee of the European Parliament had been scheduled to vote, member by member, on a recommendation on Zheleva, who has been under fire from political rivals and in the media for underperforming in a January 12 2010 confirmation hearing in which she faced questions about shortcomings in her disclosures of business interests and about her proposed portfolio, international co-operation, humanitarian aid and emergency response.
The full meeting of the committee, to be held behind closed doors, was called after a meeting on June 18 of leaders of political groups in the committee failed to reach consensus on Zheleva.
Between them, the anti-Zheleva camp, including socialists, liberals, Greens and leftists, could muster more votes than Zheleva's sole backers, the centre-right EPP, making the outcome of a vote against Zheleva a near-certainty.
There have been a number of public calls for Zheleva to be withdrawn, with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov and European Commission Jose Barroso being urged to pull Zheleva out of contention to spare her the public humiliation of a vote against her -- and to avert the risk of the entire "Barroso II" Commission being sunk because of Zheleva being its Jonah.
European Parliament lawyers cleared Zheleva of wrongdoing in her disclosure of business interests as a candidate Commissioner, but indicated that there appeared to be a discrepancy in her disclosures when she was an MP, when official records showed her as having signed documents as manager of Global Consult. It has been suggested that this may have been no more than a technical error.
Speaking to Bulgarian National Television (BNT) on January 19, Andrei Kovachev, head of the delegation of Borissov's GERB party at the European Parliament, said that the issue of the MEP declaration could be the result of a error in Bulgaria's Commercial Register.
Kovachev, as EPP leadership had done previously, insisted that those who had made allegations against Zheleva regarding her disclosures should apologise.
However, Ivailo Kalfin, Zheleva's predecessor as Bulgaria's foreign minister and now an MEP for Bulgaria's socialists, said that Zheleva had admitted at the time of the hearings that there had been a mistake in her disclosure, the issue would have gone away then.
The real problem was her complete lack of competence for the Commissioner's role for which she had been proposed, and the EPP had not arguments to refute this, Kalfin told BNT.
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Zheleva: Winners and losers
At EU level and in Bulgaria, the Roumyana Zheleva saga has dealt out assets and liabilities
Zheleva’s resignation as Foreign Minister accepted – Tsvetanov
The morning after Prime Minister Boiko Borissov said that he had not accepted Roumyana Zheleva’s request to quit as Foreign Minister, it emerged on January 20 2010 that she will leave the post.
Bulgaria’s new candidate Commissioner to face hearing on February 3
The European Parliament plenary vote on the Barroso II European Commission has been postponed from January 26 to February 9 2010.
‘Ending the pain’: Reactions to Zheleva
Roumyana Zheleva’s withdrawal as a candidate European Commissioner was the best outcome, inevitable – but too late, her critics say.
Roumyana Zheleva's resignation letter - the full text
Bulgaria's Foreign Minister and European Commissioner-designate resigns from all her posts.
European Parliament committee set for January 19 showdown on Bulgaria's Zheleva
Bulgaria’s European Commissioner-designate Roumyana Zheleva is in the clear about her declaration of business interests as a candidate commissioner, but there was an omission in her statements when she was an MEP, European Parliament lawyers say.
More lather in the Zheleva soap opera
In Strasbourg, leaders of political groups in the European Parliament are to discuss the fate of the ‘Barroso II’ European Commissioners-designate.
Tug o’ war over European Commissioners intensifies
European People’s Party wants an apology from Bulgarian candidate Roumyana Zheleva’s detractors, while her opponents say that there will be too few votes for an EC including Zheleva to be approved, as behind-the-scenes lobbying continues.
Barroso stands by Bulgaria’s Zheleva
In a January 15 2010 letter to European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek, EC President Jose Barroso defends Roumyana Zheleva, saying she has confirmed her declaration of interests is accurate and she is competent to take up her proposed EC post.
Documents clear Zheleva – report
Prime Minister Boiko Borissov expected to announce on January 15 2010 that records show that European Commissioner-designate Roumyana Zheleva did not break Bulgarian or EU rules on disclosure.
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This comment has been removed by the moderator because it contained off-topic content
Sorry Stefcho,
but just now you sounded like an unhinged Bulgarian female expat.
Seriously.
Who are the Bulgarians going to revolt against? Themselves? They'll have to, because that is the real culprit... The government just represents the average person. This is a country with history of
isolation that until 20 years a go was a
dictatorship.
You are gonna have to take my word for it - BG has never been on a better path than now.
Nor has she been more European, if you like, [...]
Read the full comment whatever that means, thand today.
Vincent, are you smoking crack or something, "the right track" LOL, give me a second, I can't stop laughing. This govt. is a disgrace, they put some stupid woman in front of the EU to be questioned and she doesn't even know simple geography, I mean, come on, could you really see her in any position in any govt? Go GERB GO, they need to go home that's what they need to do before they do anymore damage or embarress Bulgaria anymore.
Expat, how has this begun? This painful journey for BG? I'm interested to hear what you think has begun. Because the way I see it the country is emploding from within. Adopt EU standards? Ha, they don't know the meaning. They will do whatever they want until the EU FINALLY gives them a kick in the butt. This country can't even fund it's hospital's in a way that offers the people of Bulgaria simple health care, the "fund" is normally broke each year by April, the quality of care they receive is jungle medicine. The Doctors are grossly uneducated and [...]
Read the full comment inexperienced and this is just one factor, I could go on and on and I'm sure my friend Valeri will help me. Bulgarians need to get pissed, very pissed and not except the status quote, it is not exceptable to them or any country to be treated like people in third world country's. I think it's time for a revolt, a huge revolt, a no confidence vote on the fireman, expel the whole parliment and start from scatch. The people deserve much better and the goverment isn't doing a thing to make there lives any easier, they are only making it harder and they are good at making it much harder. If they put the efforts into making it easier as they do harder things would be a whole lot different.
Well, at least now she can focus on her dancing;)
BG is finally on the right track ! Go , GERB, Go !!!
Sergiu ,
Only true communists call BB a " communist "... They subconciously understand how damned they are and just want to spread the EVIL !!!
They are all the same. Not much has changed. We are fooling ourselves in the hope that BG makes a progress from the shameful past. Unfortunately it will take generations.
Hey Blighty,
Let us call BB a communnist too! He was in the system and he still is.
I cannot see the differences in the ladies and gentlemen.
All of them got the nose in the wind to maximize their profit. The majority of us do the same. Like we will do in future too.
I do not like it too, but to stigmatisize means to politisize it only. That brings nothing for the people.
Greece might usefully learn the same lesson too, even now.
It was a great joke from the outset to nominate Zheleva for the EU's emergency aid.
She was completely unqualified for the post. It would be extremely embarrassing for Bulgaria to have her in such a position.
Can we now expect the communists, or as they like to be known the BSP, to investigate all their members as "thoroughly" as they have done Jeleva. Who knows what they may find or do they already know and want to keep it a secret.
Shameful work by the BSP but I am sure GERB will not forget.
the painful way to adopt to EU standards for BG continues...
but it is an important process for BG to experiance the way of the past will not successful continue. there is the need for major change (which had already begun)
good luck for the painful journey BG