The US never stops brainwashing top Bulgarian officials. There are rumors going around saying that former US Ambassador to Bulgaria James Warlick was called back because he was not up to par. He didn't defend the US companies' interests vigorously enough, and let happen what was to be avoided at all costs: the Boyko Borisov government cracked, ostensibly from under the pressure of the public's protests for environmental protection. In January 2012 Chevron was banned to from the use of "fracking" on Bulgarian soil.
The shelf drilling program was halted. According to the Bulgarian Media, Boyko Borisov received a behind-closed-doors thrashing from Barack Obama while on a visit to Washington. Bulgarian analysts are sure the Prime Minister decided not to take part in the South Stream ground-breaking ceremony on December 7 last year because he was under pressure the US.
Nora Stoichkova is sure the continuation of the Belene project would have prevented the wave of Bulgarian discontent, because it was a real opportunity to bring down costs and to provide cheap energy. She said also that the nuclear plant was a chance for lower-priced electricity, new workplaces, and industrial progress in general. To her, Bulgaria's withdrawal from the Belene project was a great shame before the whole world. Now, potential investors know that only friends of the US government have a chance to earn money in Bulgaria.
In truth, the country has narrow room for maneuverability in the field of energy policy. First, it's membership in the European Union makes it obliged to make 16% of the sector use renewable energy sources by 2020. Prices went up last summer, because investors were made to function under conditions of preferences not oriented on market requirements. Second, the 20 straight years of pro-US policy dictated by some political circles makes the United States the most preferable country of choice for collaboration.
In comparison with other European Union members, Bulgaria is a poor country (an average wage is 385.5 euro, an average pension is 138 euro), so it's not easy to protect the national interests. Perhaps Bulgaria doesn't even realize it has become a country with limited sovereignty as a result of the United Sates diplomatic pressure.
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