LONDON: A powerful bomb explosion outside an investigative reporter’s flat in Sofia on Thursday has highlighted the difficulties bedevilling Bulgaria’s bid to join the EU on time on January 1. Nobody was hurt in the attack, which was blamed on underworld gangsters.

The prevalence of organized crime rings and the authorities’ failure to make arrests in a spate of other bombings and killings are among the biggest obstacles to Bulgarian hopes of a top-table seat in Brussels. But other hurdles have arisen which have little to do with law and order in the Balkans.

Only a year ago, Bulgarian and Romanian accession in 2007 looked like a done deal. Then came the defeat of the EU’s constitution in French and Dutch referendums, a bitter row over Turkey’s application, and the British presidency’s abortive efforts to reform the budget.

An inconclusive German election last autumn induced months of introspection. France and Italy have since been seized by violently polarising internal crises. The EU commission is meanwhile embroiled in disputes over rising protectionism, energy and employment policy, and reshaped institutions.

In short, the EU’s post-referendum ‘period of reflection’ has become a longueur of indefinite duration. And diplomats say these enervating events, contributing to plunging public confidence, have only encouraged a new Europe-wide phenomenon — enlargement fatigue. Bulgaria and Romania are increasingly anxious that cherished membership hopes could fall victim to these woes — and tempers are fraying. Delaying accession beyond January 1 ‘would be a grave political mistake’, Bulgaria’s prime minister, Sergei Stanishev, warned this week. “In the long term, this will create more problems in the EU.”

Criticism by the EU’s enlargement commissioner has added to the unease. Olli Rehn said Bulgaria should do more to ensure judicial independence, tackle official corruption, and suppress the crime lords. Mr Rehn is due to make a formal recommendation on May 16. While praising Bulgaria and Romania for progress made, he indicated that even if admitted on time, they could be excluded from policies such as cross-border arrangements. —Dawn/The Guardian News Service