Slammed by political detractors and the ordinary public as having failed to cope with the aftermath of heavy snowfalls that disrupted road and rail transport and left many settlements without electricity and water, Bulgaria’s authorities insisted that they had done the best they could – and blamed the weather for the problem.

The heavy snowfall started in the later hours of January 1 and continued for the next few days, blocking hundreds of motor vehicles all around Bulgaria, and leaving villages and resort areas without electricity supply, stranding them from the rest of the world for days. Roads were closed because they had not been cleaned, trains were delayed for several hours and travelling in most of the northern and eastern of Bulgaria became practically impossible. States of emergency were declared in the regions of Rousse, Dobrich and towns in the Varna, Bourgas, Veliko Turnovo and Silistra regions.

Rescue operations were launched in the mountains to provide food to holidaymakers stuck in their lodges. Helicopters and other heavy machinery equipment tried to supply people with basic necessities.

On January 6, Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev told reporters that it was the weather that led to the crisis.

“The snow, not the lack of co-ordination, was the reason for the problems. We all know that these were record low temperatures and the snowfall was serious. All institutions did their best to keep roads in order,” Stanishev said.

President Georgi Purvanov thought otherwise. “We need more co-ordination in authorities’ work in times of crisis,” Purvanov told reporters the same day.

The big question became: who is responsible for the lack of reaction by the authorities?

All eyes were on the Ministry for Disaster Management, set up in 2005 with the precise purpose of organising the state’s actions in such situations. It was not the first time Disaster Management Minister Emel Etem had to answer questions about her ministry’s work. In the previous three years, Etem has been the subject of regular sharp criticism for not reacting properly to the spring and summer floods that have claimed lives and caused extensive damager.

On January 2, Etem could be reached only on her mobile phone at a location she declined to disclose. She was on three days’ leave. She assured Bulgarian National Television that she was in constant contact with her staff and had a complete view on the situation.

She advised people to avoid travelling, have their mobile phones with them and keep supplies in order.

Back at her office on January 9, Etem told private national commercial channel bTV that things were not that bad. “Out of the 28 regions we had seven that had declared states of emergency, which means that not everybody was surprised by the snow,” she said. “Those who had taken measures in advance were obviously prepared for the natural disaster.”

By that she meant mayors. “I want to make one thing clear. The Disaster Management Ministry has no responsibility for co-ordination or organising responses in times of such disasters. It is entirely up to the mayors and regional governors to organise themselves.” Etem said that her ministry’s responsibility was to send warning letters in advance with instructions how to act in such cases, which she had done on November 7.

“Unfortunately Bulgaria is not capable of making long-term weather prognoses and of having predicted the January 1 situation.”

The other line of responsibility of the ministry was rescuing people, Etem said. “This is why the accusations we get to me seems like someone trying to avoid responsibility,” she said.