Bulgarian president slams government over corruption

By bne IntelliNews February 4, 2020

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev accused the government of precipitating the “collapse of the state” through its failure to combat corruption in a televised speech on February 4. 

Radev has repeatedly clashed with Prime Minister Boyko Borissov’s government, whose reputation has been tarnished by a string of corruption scandals. 

“This government and administration are leading to the collapse of the state and depriving us of our future as a nation,” Radev said in the live address, as reported by Reuters.

“Today we are witnessing an acute crisis in governance at all levels, a lack of will to reform and fight corruption.”

The president added that he was withdrawing his confidence in the government, a symbolic move that will have no practical impact. 

Borissov’s administration has just survived its fourth no-confidence vote, on January 29, following a motion launched by opposition parties over the government’s failure to deal with water and waste crises, as well as with the deadly air pollution in some cities.

Former environment minister Neno Dimov became the first serving government minister in Bulgaria ever to be arrested over a case concerning the water crisis in the industrial town of Pernik. 

Last year, the government was hit by a separate scandal, dubbed “Apartmentgate”, that erupted as it was revealed that numerous top officials — including the head of the anti-corruption agency — had obtained luxury apartments at below market price under unclear circumstances. 

Bulgaria is ranked the most corrupt country in the EU on Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perceptions Index. 

Former air force commander Radev was backed in the last presidential elections by the opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), beating the candidate of Borisov’s ruling Gerb Party. Despite having a mainly ceremonial role, he has repeatedly sought to hold the government to account.

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