Today in Strasbourg the European Parliament voted for the waiver of the immunity of the Bulgarian MEP Sergei Stanishev following a fast-track procedure which was applied on his explicit request to the members of the EP Committee on Legal Affairs.

 

During a committee hearing on Monday Stanishev informed his colleagues that he has renounced his own immunity twice in two consecutive mandates in his capacity as a member of the Bulgarian Parliament so that the investigation could proceed. He explained that the General Prosecutor’s Office has offered him a deal to cease the case and pay an administrative fine of 1000 Euro, but he had refused it as he insists on clearing his name and wants the Bulgarian court to have its say on these absurd allegations against him.

 

Commenting on the decision taken today by the EP, Stanishev said: I requested a fast-track procedure because I do not wish to see the European Parliament turned into arena for national political passions. Surely by doing this we would not contribute for the positive image of our country in the European institutions. It is indeed well known in Bulgaria that the case against me is politically motivated.

 

In 2009 there was a strong political pressure to launch this investigation against Stanishev, BSP leader at the time. PM Boyko Borissov personally stated at the time: ‘The Prosecutors have a lot of work. If this time all the people involved, starting with the authors, the holders and the ones who are in possession of the documents do not go to jail, the future holds nothing good for this country’.

 

In 2009 even a special Parliamentary Committee was established, nick-named the “Anti-Stanishev Committee”, which was eventually dissolved as it did not achieve the political objectives it was created for. As nothing else could be found, the case of these 7 “lost” documents was made up. This is barely 0.2% of all the classified information that goes through the hands of the Prime Minister, and there is in fact solid eyewitness testimony that I have returned the documents to the competent services, Stanishev added.

 

‘The political headline of the time was how detrimental for Bulgaria Stanishev and the 3-party coalition were, which heavily damaged the country both in financial and social aspect. However, time puts everything in its place. Every reasonable Bulgarian citizen can draw his own conclusions. Public debt was brought down from 30% in 2005 to 13% of GDP in 2009. More than 360 000 new jobs were created and the average salaries and pensions sharply increased. This is the ‘damage’ done by my government. Today it is already clear that the 4-party coalition ruling the country now will put the burden of 16 bln Leva of additional debt on the shoulders of the Bulgarian citizens while at the same time they have no idea how to create new jobs or to increase incomes’, Stanishev said.

 

‘I believe that the Bulgarian court will have its just say on these absurd accusations’, Stanishev concluded.