The EU is not a nanny

Michael Leigh, head of the European Commission's Enlargement Directorate General, has discussed the problems that cutting 220 million euros in EU funding will cause for Bulgaria with Bulgarian politicians. The daily Dnevnik expresses the opinion that the country can't just rely on the EU: "It is naïve to see the EU as a nanny that sooner or later will put the naughty children in the corner. The criticism from Brussels is a useful instrument. But we should listen to it and use it constructively. ... Even if EU officials are strict, they are obliged to exercise restraint when voicing expert opinions. What Michael Leigh is not allowed to say is that the deficiencies are tolerated to make misappropriation possible. This is a political assessment and it should come from Bulgarian citizens and their political representatives. ... But if such an assessment is not accompanied by deeds ... it won't achieve much. The time has come for that section of the nation that is against the begging stance and for adhering to rules and a transparent management to find its place on the political stage."

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