Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov has slammed the government for its "failure" in the economic sphere, while also showing off with his approval rating after almost 10 years as head of state.

The major problem in the country is not Tapegate, the recent scandal with leaked tapped conversations between senior government officials, but the failure of the Cabinet to cope with the economic crisis, Parvanov declared in the northern town of Suhindol on the occasion of a traditional Bulgarian celebration - the feast of St. Trifon Zarezan, the patron of vine growing and wine producing.

While participating in the traditional vine-cutting ritual believed to bring fertility, the President, a former head of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, accused the center-right government of PM Boyko Borisov's GERB party of failing to provide relieve to an economy gasping for breath, especially as far as the small and medium-sized enterprises are concerned.

"To make ends meet people in the villages are increasingly buying on tick. The spying scandals accelerate the lack of trust in the institutions and their failure to cope with real issues," Parvanov said.

"The scandals have certainly affected my approval rating as well but I wish every politician, after serving for 10 years as President or Prime Minister, to have the rating that I have," he declared while apologizing for his lack of modesty.

In a recent Gallup poll, Parvanov was ranked fourth in approval after EU Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva, Regional Development Minister Rosen Plevneliev and Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.

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