Tension in the ruling tripartite coalition could lead to a delay in Bulgaria's EU accession until 2008, Carlos Tortola Sebastian from the Commercial Consular Office of the Spanish embassy to Bulgaria said.

Sebastian said that at present the political unity in Bulgaria remained strong and that Bulgarians worked hard to achieve Bulgaria's EU entry.

Dnevnik newspaper quoted Sebastian as saying that the country still faced problems with corruption, organised crime and judicial instability, despite the recent positive developments in these areas. The undeveloped financial services and infrastructure sector could also hinder Bulgaria's EU entry, Sebastian said.

Sebastian also listed the areas where Bulgaria had achieved significant progress, including the inexpensive qualified labour, the free trade agreements and the good political and economic environment.