Bulgaria: State Coffers Empty, Detention Cells Full

Views on BG | July 19, 2010, Monday // 17:08
Bulgaria: Bulgaria: State Coffers Empty, Detention Cells Full Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov is seen during his quick trip to Bulgarian cultural and spiritual sites in Rome, Italy, before his official visit to Austria later Monday. Photo by BGNES.

This is the headline under which Austrian daily Die Presse comments Monday on today's visit of Bulgaria's PM Boyko Borisov to Vienna.

The article sets off by describing Borisov as a “winner-type” who vastly depends on his “charisma,” an approach that has become usual in the West European press ever since Borisov and his center-right GERB political project came to prominence in Bulgarian politics, to sweep to power after general elections July 2009.

Die Presse speaks about an euphoria that seized a “vast part” of Bulgaria's population at the elections, only to be followed by an anti-culmination. “The Bulgarian reality has made ugly scratches in Borisov's halo,” comments the article.

The Austrian daily gives examples with the persisting problems with Bulgaria's state budget and the GERB cabinet's swiftly proposed and then scrapped anti-crisis measures, which, according to the author, have fostered insecurity even among GERB supporters, while notwithstanding the cabinet has retained considerable popular backing.

Further, Die Presse qualifies GERB Minister of Interior and deputy-PM Tsvetan Tsvetanov as one who “in the meantime has grown into a true competitor of PM Borisov,” citing the special operations carried out by the Bulgarian police in a bid to fight organized crime, which are highly publicized by Tsvetanov.

“Since December 2009 there has been hardly a single day when special operations filmed by police camera teams were not beamed onto Bulgarians,” writes the paper, ironically adding that event hough a great number of detainees are swiftly released by the judiciary over insufficient evidence, Tsvetanov can be proud with the support he has mustered for himself and the cabinet he is a member of.

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Tags: Die Presse, Vienna, Austria, special operation, GERB cabinet, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, Boyko Borisov, anti-crisis measures, Budget 2010

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