Bulgaria Socialists: GERB Is Offering Only Excuses

The socialist MPs Anton Kutev (R) and Maya Manolav (l) launched Tuesday strong critisism on the new GERB cabinet and PM Boyko Borisov. Photo by BGNES

The Bulgarian Socialists declared Tuesday the recent protests of vine growers, milk producers, policemen and railroad workers justified.

Anton Kutev, Member of the Parliament (MP) from the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) spoke after the meeting of the Executive Bureau of the party, saying the State had an obligation to help the Bulgarian producers, but he was expecting only excuses from the Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov.

"See, the communists ate all the money and we don't have anything to help you with now, Borisov is going to say," according to Kutev.

The socialist MP was adamant the “Agriculture Fund” has stopped functioning over staff changes and new rules, adding the Fund had nearly BGN 100 M in investment resources that had not been utilized by the new cabinet of Borisov's Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party.

Kutev further declared there were BGN 900 M in the State budget from the European Commission and another BGN 60 M slated specifically for milk producers.

“The BGN 900 M, which Borisov still had not thought about, were not given by the EC because Borisov is a charismatic man. Actually, I am happy to inform you the State does not begin with Borisov,” Kutev said.

The MP also claimed the Money provided by the EC for the construction of the Sofia metro was not due to the PM's efforts and criticized the idea of Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, to drastically increase the cigarettes' excise and prices as specula with the public.

According to Kutev, the EC wants an excise increase, but 50% less than the hike Djankov is planning, defining the move as serving business interests outside Bulgaria and a decision that would trigger 40% increase of contraband on the cigarette market.

“This cabinet shows more police mentality than common sense,” Kutev concluded.

Another BSP MP, Maya Manolova, said the decision of former socialist ministers to not benefit from the Amnesty Act in case they are tried for corruption, was not only a gesture of high morality, but had legal grounds.

Manolova stated the party would appeal to all their members, who had high ranking posts to do the same, adding the complications were arising from the fact no one from the former government has been officially charged and there were only allegations and insinuations without real action.

The MP reminded the Amnesty Act had been proposed by another party – the National Movement for Stability and Prosperity (NMSP) of former Tsar and PM, Simeon Saxe-Coburg, while the socialists had revised much of the text.

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