GERB leader and former prime minister Boyko Borissov said at a campaign event that he had given up his chances for another term as prime minister. Elections will be held in April.
With the elections approaching, the two largest parties in Bulgaria are neck and neck. According to recent polls, 25-27 percent of voters support the conservative GERB – about as many as the pro-European centre-right We’re Carrying Change-Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB) coalition.
However, uncovered blunders by the interim GERB government in the construction of motorways have severely damaged the GERB polls.
Regional Development Minister Ivan Shishkov conducted two tests on new highways near Sofia. It turned out that a third of the estimated asphalt was missing.
One of these motorways was built with EU funds disbursed in 2016.
According to Borisov, the roads collapsed because they were being used by heavy trucks loaded with fuel and grain. The Ukraine war was also mentioned as a reason.
“Everything has to be maintained. We’re at a crossroads, you know. Throughout the summer, 50,000 cars drove along these roads. The same (actual government) allowed traffic of overloaded trucks to and from Ukraine in the summer – fuel, grain, at 30-40 degrees there is no road that can take it,” Borisov said.
The pre-election campaign in Bulgaria was dominated by revealed highway shortcomings and the arrest of one of the most prominent businessmen in the construction industry, Veliko Shelev.
The GERB election campaign had previously suffered from US sanctions. Among those sanctioned by the US over alleged corruption was Borisov’s longtime finance minister, Vladislav Goranov.
However, given these scandals, support for GERB remains stable.
Bulgaria has been in a serious political crisis for two years. Five parliamentary elections were held during this period. Analysis shows that the only option to form a stable government is a coalition between GERB and PP-DB. Borissov’s political legacy remains the greatest obstacle to this.
Source : euractiv.de
