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Bulgaria under pressure over crime
By Oana Lungescu
BBC News, Sofia



The EU has urged Bulgaria to do more to tackle violent crime
Just 18 months after Bulgaria became a member of the European Union, it risks losing millions worth of EU funds unless it can prove it is cracking down on corruption and organised crime.

Some of the reasons for Bulgaria's plight can be found in the capital Sofia's leafy central cemetery.

Under black marble monuments engraved with life-size portraits lie men whom most Bulgarians know by their nicknames: the Godfather, the Doctor, the Russian, the Banker...

It is a who's who of those who became mega-rich during the country's murky transition to democracy and died in a hail of bullets.

Shady connections

There have been 150 contract killings since 1990, but not a single conviction. The latest took place in April, not far from one of the busiest bus stops in Sofia.

The politicians should be getting to work too, rather than blaming us for their problems

"It would be a first in Bulgaria," he said.

Many suspect that crimes remain unpunished due to links between the former communist security services, business and politics.

Bulgarska