Bulgarian President Rumen Radev (1st R) speaks at the ceremony held in the Ivan Vazov National Theatre, in Sofia, capital of Bulgaria on Jan. 11, 2018 to launch Bulgaria's six-month rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU). Wang Xinran/ Press Association. All rights reserved.Bulgaria’s new role as president of the Council of the EU has started with a bang – quite literally. Just days after the country stepped up to the plate for the six-month rotating presidency on January 1, one of its most influential businessmen, Peter Hristov – a 49-year-old said to have close ties to Bulgaria’s ruling party – was shot dead outside his office in broad daylight.
Making matters worse, that same week saw thousands marching down the streets of Sofia, chanting “Mafia”, “Resign” and “Corruption” in protest to the country’s plans to build a ski resort in the cherished national park of Pirin.
Sadly, such incidents are by no means unusual in a country that continues to struggle with deep-seated cronyism, weak law enforcement, and organized crime. And Hristov’s death is a painful reminder that Bulgaria’s presidency of the EU will be more likely be dominated by Sofia’s own problems than about its leadership of the group of 27 member states.
