Bulgaria's GERB President Hopeful: I Can Say No to PM

GERB presidential candidate and soon to be ex Regional Minister, Rosen Plevneliev, says the president's office must be a strategic national center for visions and projects. Photo by BGNES

The presidential candidate of Bulgaria's ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, GERB, party, Regional Minister, Rosen Plevneliev, declares he knows how to say no to Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov.

In his first TV interview after the nomination, Plevneliev said he had told Borisov no many times, "certainly more often than the candidate of the opposition left-wing Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, Member of the European Parliament and ex Foreign Affairs Minister, Ivaylo Kalfin, or President, Georgi Parvanov."

The presidential hopeful gave as the most recent example opposing the PM in his decision to hastily fire the head of the Road Agency over violations committed by one of the latter's subordinates or making Borisov change his mind on asking for construction projects to be finished ahead of schedule.

"As someone who studied in Germany, I believe contracts and deadlines must be adhered to, but it is nice construction companies often show understanding when it comes to his desire to get things done faster," Plevneliev said.

He confirmed Borisov's Sunday statement that he was first approached with the offer to run for president a couple of months ago, when the two were on their way to open a new road near the western city of Pernik. He had been told then that he had done a great job, but could excel even more by becoming a mayor, a president, or a prime minister.

Plevneliev also informed he had no plans, at this point, to become a member of GERB, and that the idea to resign from the post of Regional Minister before the start of the election campaign was his own.

"The Ministry has schedules, deadlines; it needs a Minister," he said, adding GERB's nomination for vice president, Justice Minister, Margarita Popova, will be on leave as the law requires, but will not yet resign from her ministerial post.

"The role of the Presidential Office is to work on the long-term orientation of the country; to be a strategic national center for visions and projects," Plevneliev pointed out.

The soon to be ex Regional Minister was firm he will take part in televised debates with all his opponents and has no reason to worry about any compromising information against him since there wasn't any. He gave as an example the fact no one of his numerous friends, all the way from high school, former coworkers from construction firms, from the State administration or neighbors has come to him, after he became minister, to ask him for a favor.

Plevneliev explained he will continue to keep his family out of the spotlight because he wanted them to remain "ordinary people."

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