New Bulgarian PM
July 27, 2009
Three weeks following national elections in Bulgaria, Boiko Borisov has been sworn in as the country's new prime minister. Borisov's center-right GERB party, which he founded, won 116 of the 240 seats in the elections held on July 5.
In his speech before the parliament, Borisov, the former mayor of Sofia, promised to rid the country of corruption and win back the trust of the European Union, saying that the time had come to prove that Bulgaria can implement reforms and reduce the deficit.
Two and a half years after joining the EU, Bulgaria has become something of an outcast. The 27 member bloc cut its access to over 500 million euros ($713.2 million) in aid last year as punishment for fraud, and the eastern European nation is hoping to win back the trust of the EU and convince Brussels to turn the flow of aid back on.
Borisov promised that the new government would work under the principles of "openness and transparency" and admitted that this would not necessarily be an "easy path" to take.
Failing to show results by the end of this year may threaten some of the 11 billion euros Bulgaria has been promised in aid.
The rest of the lineup
No prime minister can expect to accomplish anything without a well-rounded cabinet, and Borisov is no different. Most of his ministers, which were quickly approved by parliament, are new on the political scene, which many see as part of Borisov's plan to prove his party is different from the traditional political establishment.
Many experts have said that in light of the economic crisis, which has hit Bulgaria especially hard, the new Finance Minister Simeon Djankov is going to play a vital role in the new government.
Daniel Smilov, program director of political and legal research at the Center for Liberal Strategies in Sofia, told Deutsche Welle that the appointment of Djankov, who has joined Borisov's government after leaving a 13 year position at the World Bank, is very significant.
"Borisov wants to say that his economic policy is going to be stability and continuity of previous reforms and also increasing the deficit of the Bulgarian economy," he added.
Smilov also pointed out that Borisov's closest ally, former police chief Tsvetan Tsvetanov, will head the interior ministery, making him responsible for cracking down on organized crime and fighting corruption among police.
The new minister of justice, Margarita Popova, has worked as a prosecutor since 1990, heading the Sofia Prosecutor's Office between 1996 and 2004 before being appointed spokeswoman to the Chief Prosecutor Boris Velchev in 2006.
Since October of last year, Popova has been running a specialized unit for fighting fraud involving EU funds and had won praise both at home in Bulgaria and from Brussels.
Of course, having a good team is only half the battle, according to Smilov, who says the real question is whether or not Borisov has a coherent strategy to implement.
"Now what is needed is real political commitment and will to change existing practices. Borisov has public support and he has a team of experts…so the conditions are there for some progress in the fight against corruption and organized crime."
mrm/Reuters/dpa/AFP
Editor: Neil King