Comments by "Aaron Okeanos" (@AaronOkeanos) on "Watch: Protests continue in Sofia after earlier violence as MPs debated changes to constitution" video.

The EU would like to help, but they can't. It's a sovereignty matter treaties prevent influence of the EU level to this degree. Noone was willing to give the EU this many rights to a member even if it would be better for freedom and less corruption. Maybe the EU can tweak a little on finances or something, but the measures are extremly limited. Next time somebody questions if the EU should have more protective rights on such matters to allow the EU to protect member from their own rogue governments, vote YES. The best approach would be to vote in another government and try to suggest something like that in the EU.
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@MILANBELGRADEBOYS Rubbish. The EU uses what they are allowed to legally, the difference is Bulgaria is a full EU member, Belarus is only a trade partner. The EU can apply sanctions on a Non-EU member this is not possible for members. For Belarus the EU could for example stop buying their Potassium, #1 export good which would hurt Lukashenko a lot. However the EU uses tariffs and sanctions like a scalpel not a club because trade sanctions can hurt normal people more than the governments. However the EU has gotten quite good at this getting a lot of experience with wanne-be dictators like Putin, Erdogan, Trump.
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@Shuforces1 You are right I don't know Bulgaria very much. But I know the EU rather good. Merkel is not in control of the EU nor is Germany or France or Macron. The issue is: The EU sends funds directly to EU projects but also to the governments of each EU member. And they are responsible to distribute the money. It's not a problem of the EU if they embezzle money, it's a problem of the member and the voters in this country allowing such a government. The EU is by treaties forced to send money which is intended for regional development, health, education, etc. But the EU has no right to keep the money because it's embezzled by the members government. Solve the problem by voting a non-corrupt government. The only way possible to improve the situation is to change from within. It's a democracy after all. Go on strike, make protests, create a new opposition party whatever, but the citizens of Bulgaria must change it from within the EU cannot intervene international laws and treaties preventing such a thing. As I understand it the EU will put this topic on the agenda in this autumn because Hungary has the same problem and the EU countries needs to find a solution for this e.g. suspend payments temporarily with corruption existing. I'm intrestested myself in what they will come up with. But whatever it is, true change cannot come from the EU it must come from within the member.
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