site.btaUPDATED GERB Leader Loses National Protection Service Security Detail

GERB Deputy Chair Tomislav Donchev told reporters on Wednesday that the National Service for Protection told his party that, starting Thursday, it will no longer protect GERB Chair Boyko Borissov.

Donchev added: "This seems like an emotional, God forbid, a political decision, but by no means an institutional one." He pointed out that Borissov is a former prime minister, former secretary general of the Ministry of Interior and has "problems with organized crime". The MP said that while the security of the Prime Minister is a top priority, the security of former prime ministers should not be overlooked. He stated: "In Bulgaria, there is a long-standing problem regarding the safety and security of former prime ministers."

According to Donchev: "The matter of Borissov's safety, as well as that of every Bulgarian citizen, is the responsibility of the State, the government, and the Prime Minister."

GERB-UDF MP Toma Bikov added that, given reports from weeks ago of a security threat against Borissov, full responsibility for Borissov's security now lies with Prime Minister Rumen Radev. Bikov did not specify the nature of the threats against Borissov.