PM Denkov: I Cannot be Prime Minister of a Government that Beats People in the Streets

"If the Interior Minister doesn't recognize this as violence that deserves an extremely heavy penalty, including explaining why it happens periodically in the police and how we stamp it out, then yes, I will resign."

This was stated by Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov at a briefing in the Council of Ministers after the regular meeting on measures to combat aggression and violence, commenting on cases of violence by police officers against citizens.

And more: "I cannot accept being prime minister of a government that beats people in the street. My attitude to the Interior Minister will depend on his attitude to violence".

Prime Minister Denkov wants a parliamentary commission of inquiry to clarify all the facts and circumstances of the events of Thursday night in Sofia, when football fans ran amok in the center and individual police officers abused force.

"I have not heard from the Interior Minister a strong condemnation of what we have seen from police officers as an abuse of force. Without a doubt, there were provocations on the part of the protesters, but I want Kalin Stoyanov to come out and say that this cannot be tolerated anymore", Denkov said.

He informed that today he spoke with Deputy Prime Minister Mariya Gabriel on the subject.

"We must all condemn the violence of both the arsonists and the police, and only those who abused their authority. These police officers tarnish the police and have no place in the ranks of the Ministry of Internal Affairs", the Prime Minister said.

Regarding whether "We Continue the Change" co-chair Kiril Petkov put pressure on Stoyanov, whose resignation he demanded last week, during the election process, the prime minister said: "Kiril Petkov never said one party should win or another - no".

Denkov added that he fully approves of Kalin Stoyanov's work regarding Schengen.

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