site.btaGERB Leader Borissov Urges against Politicizing Developments Involving Interior Ministry

GERB Party Leader Boyko Borissov on Thursday urged against politicizing the death of a police officer who apparently had a cardiac arrest while on duty outside the National Assembly earlier in the day. “Everything about the Interior Ministry has been politicized for years,” Borissov told journalists in the corridors of the Assembly. He noted that the Interior Ministry has been used as an excuse for the setbacks and the failings of political parties.

The MPs held a minute of silence for the deceased police officer at the proposal of MP Kalin Stoyanov (Movement for Rights and Freedoms – New Beginning), who is former interior minister. Before the short ceremony, Stoyanov read out a declaration on behalf of his parliamentary group expressing condolences for the policeman’s passing. The declaration sparked a political dispute between his group and Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB).

Borissov commented to the media that a deceased person deserves respect. He noted that the dispute produced nothing good.

The former prime minister also discussed the fact that on Thursday morning MPs from CC-DB used their cars to block the entrances to the National Assembly parking lot to prevent the vehicles driving Borissov and MRF-New Beginning Floor Leader Delyan Peevski from entering. The move was in support of Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev, who was detained on July 8 on charges of bribery, and Sofia Deputy Mayor Nikola Barbutov, who was charged with bribery in late June. CC Chair Assen Vassilev told BTA that his party will not prevent MPs from entering the National Assembly building. CC's goal was rather to have MPs "walk on foot and talk to the people".

In his comments to the journalists, Borissov interpreted the move as CC-DB’s latest attempt to prevent the euro changeover in Bulgaria.

Taking up another topic, Borissov claimed credit for keeping illegal migrants out of Bulgaria. According to him, unregulated migration has shaken Europe and has brought about a rise of far-right and far-left forces. “I have prevented that problem in Bulgaria, and I know much too well what the effort has cost me over the years,” Borissov said.

Concerning the vote of no confidence in the government due later on Thursday, Borissov said: “The opposition are ostensibly active to make themselves noticed by the people, but they know that nothing will come out of it. I will not even bother to take part in the vote. I don’t care if it is successful or not. The Bulgarian people should realize how irresponsible those people are, because without a government there can be no eurozone membership, no state budget. A possible caretaker government cannot take us into the eurozone.”

Borissov went on to comment on President Rumen Radev’s suggestion that he should thank him for getting German company Rheinmetall to invest in defence projects in Bulgaria. “Thank you, Mr Radev,” Borissov said. He noted, however, that the country’s prestige was high enough to draw the attention of a company like Rheinmetall.