Changes 1
The process of change within the Interior Ministry, a process widely perceived as closely related to plans for a National Security Agency, has taken what may prove to be a significant step forward.

Interior Minister Roumen Petkov presided over the announcement of the resignation of chief secretary Ilia Iliev, news that was followed swiftly by Petkov’s proposal of the promotion of top cop Valentin Petrov to head the permanent staff of the ministry.

There are certain important themes in the process of change and reform regarding Bulgaria’s law enforcement apparatus, and one is that it must be transformed into being not only efficient but also credible in the eyes of all who live in this country and have dealings with it. There is frequent evidence that there is continuing cause of concern, although sometimes episodes are open to interpretation. This week, a police officer was found in the allegedly illegal possession of 100kg of amphetamines; that is worrying; another way to look at it is that at least he was caught.

A further important theme, as the process of opening communist-era dossiers slowly unfolds, is that those in positions of authority over latter-day law enforcement should not be compromised by their associations with the past. It is to be hoped that in the process of change surrounding the Interior Ministry and the future National Security Agency, this goal is achieved.

Changes 2
As a consequence of the disputes that surrounded the congress earlier this year of the National Movement for Stability and Progress (until that congress, known as the National Movement Simeon II), this week saw the expulsion and resignation from the party of a number of its senior members of Parliament.

From the time of that congress, it was clear that events such as those seen this week would be inevitable. No party can consider a decisive way forward if it is hampered by internal dissension.

But while political forces external to the party may seek to exploit this week’s episode for their own ends, specifically to push forward their campaign for the country to go to the polls in an ahead-of-term parliamentary election, the simple arithmetic is that while the NMSP has shed some MPs, overall the governing coalition of which it is part continues to have a large majority in the House. For those indeed seeking stability and progress for Bulgaria, at least in the form of business as usual with at least one year going by with no soaring of political temperatures, the fact of the coalition continuing to command a sufficient majority to continue to govern may be seen as a positive factor.

In time and quite likely as scheduled, elections will be held, and then – no matter what transpires within and between parties currently inside and outside Parliament – the electorate will have the chance to decide on changes.