(SOFIA) - Bulgarian President Georgy Parvanov urged the government, police and courts Wednesday to launch immediate action against organised crime and corruption, in the wake of a series of scandals.

"The Bulgarian institutions are under serious time constraint to show, prove and put into force their political will to combat organised crime and corruption," Parvanov said at a public lecture Wednesday.

Bulgaria's ruling centre-left coalition was recently shaken after it was revealed that senior interior ministry officials had leaked information to companies under investigation and to key organised crime suspects.

The scandal was followed by two daytime mafia-style killings in the capital, Sofia, prompting angry calls for urgent action by the European Union, which Bulgaria joined in 2007.

Slamming the "complete impunity of organised crime bosses," Parvarnov added that "uncompromising, tough action is needed."

Parvanov also regretted the "collusion" between politics and shady capitalists in Bulgaria and attributed it to the post-communist political reform and privatisation processes.

Pressure from Brussels also led to the resignation of Interior Minister Rumen Petkov last week and triggered a government reshuffle of key ministerial posts, due to be approved by parliament Thursday.

Text and Picture Copyright 2008 AFP. All other Copyright 2008 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable.