Bulgaria's former PM Boyko Borisov (2009-2013). Photo by BGNES
Bulgaria’s former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has made a U-turn, saying he no longer insists on holding early elections immediately.
Since massive anti-government rallies started on June 14, Borisov’s opposition center-right GERB party demanded early elections as soon as possible on several occasions.
But the former PM stated on Wednesday that an early vote now would be too much of a financial burden for Bulgarians.
“Bulgarians should know how much the elections cost,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
“There is no way we can have elections once again in September or October – we have already gone bankrupt,” he said.
Borisov said he preferred the vote to be held in May 2014, when elections for the European Parliament have been scheduled.
He called upon the Socialist-led government to announce a date for early elections, so that the Bulgarian society could calm down.
The series of anti-graft rallies in Bulgaria was triggered by the appointment of notorious media mogul Delyan Peevski as Chair of the State Agency for National Security (DANS) back on June 14, but the protesters were not appeased by the subsequent cancellation of the decision and went on to demand the resignation of the Socialist-led cabinet over ties with oligarchs.
Borisov and his center-right government stepped down amid mass protests back in February.