The Bulgarian way of life under threat

Janina Sdrawkowa takes stock of Bulgaria's first month in the EU: "The country's accession to the EU has been accompanied by the imminent and inevitable threat of inflation - in all areas. However, membership isn't just affecting our finances, it's also having a profound impact on other areas, on our mentality and our way of life. There's the heavy tax on homemade spirits, and cucumbers now have to be 25 cm long and straight to be qualify for the A-class category… And now another threat is looming on the horizon: smoking is to be confined to the home. All these things are fundamental to the Bulgarian way of life. Without spirits, salad and cigarettes, life for Bulgarians is as boring and pointless as a cucumber."

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