Bulgaria is currently performing the best of all EU member states, according to Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.

“We are acting in a way so that no one has to push us from the outside. We are demonstrating that we are a strong and disciplined nation which understands that the world is in an economic crisis, and that we have to economize,” Borisov stated before the start of the Day of Europe football match in which the team of the Bulgarian Parliament (led by Borisov) beat the Bulgarian MEPs 4:2.

According to the PM, Bulgaria will be recovering from the crisis faster than the others. He pointed out that the slowdown of reforms across Europe in the recent years has exacerbated the effects of the crisis there to the extent that today EU governments have to resort to unprecedented measures such as cutting public sector salaries, pensions, and increasing taxes.

“Some countries have increased their value-added tax to 24%, even to 25%,” pointed out Borisov several days after his Cabinet decided to forgo upping the VAT but push even harder for cuts in the spending of the state administration.

The Prime Minister described some of the measures of his government such as giving subsidies to tobacco producers and sustaining the unemployment benefits as “far-left”.

“We are exerting all efforts of the state system so that these people can survive in a time of crisis,” explained the PM while expressing his dissatisfaction with the situation of the tobacco growers.

In his words, the government is making these farmers a present by allocating over BGN 100 M in subsidies because the same people will be facing the same problem next year. He blamed the previous governments for missing the right moment to find other means of livelihood for the tobacco farmers.

Borisov also commented on the intention of theater and opera actors to stage a protest on Tuesday over demands for state support.

“I will hear them out but will also ask them to read the statistics about the number of operas and theaters in the EU countries. There is no way an opera ticket can cost the Bulgarian taxpayers BGN 137. There is no way we can fine the entire nation in order to support these fragmented groups. Back in the days it was a policy of the communist party to have a theater and an opera in every village but times are different now. Only those who can fill up their halls will remain in existence,” said the PM.