Heated Debate in Parliament: GERB Leader Borissov Calls for Resignation of Sofia Mayor, WCC-DB Defend the Mayor

Comments continued in Parliament regarding the government’s decision to allocate 15 million BGN to Sofia’s public transport. Why the leader of GERB demanded the resignation of Sofia’s mayor, Vasil Terziev, and how the coalition 'We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria' defended him.

At the core of the dispute: 15 million BGN from the state budget intended for salaries in Sofia’s urban transport system.

• A new batch of accusations after the 15 million for public transport in Sofia

Kiril Petkov - co-chair of We Continue the Change: "What we saw was the old model: you throw 15 million from the taxpayers' money and don't care what happens afterwards. That kind of throwing helicopter money just to cover a hole doesn't work."

Boyko Borisov, Chairman of GERB: "We resolved the issue simply because we would have jeopardized the conduct of students' school-leaving exams. If they don’t need the money and consider it thrown out, then the mayor should return it to the Finance Ministry and let them do whatever they decide."

Kiril Petkov, Co-Chair of WCC: "I’m glad that Vasil Terziev stood his ground and didn’t bend over; they tried to pressure him."

Boyko Borisov, Chairman of GERB: "If the mayor can’t secure a majority and constantly looks for excuses, then he should resign, call for elections, and only then will there be a majority if he wins. The chaos was total — there was no transport for a week, the underground services shutdown would have been a disaster, and who’s to blame for his incompetence? Others."

Kiril Petkov, Co-Chair of WCC: "We asked Zhelyazkov this question: when you throw money from a four-wheel drive this year, will you be throwing money from a four wheel drive every year, or is it just to pull the wool over people's eyes?"

Boyko Borisov, Chairman of GERB: "If WCC-DB support the budget when it comes up for review and we have a majority in Parliament, we will ensure they get the funds."

Ivaylo Mirchev, Co-Chair of "Yes, Bulgaria": "Borisov is inciting us to crime, to robbery, to plunder. Peevski takes pictures with mayors around the country: they come, kiss his hand, kiss his ring, because otherwise no one gives them any money."

Criticism of the Mayor of Sofia also came from the leader of "MRF-New Beginning."

Delyan Peevski — leader of MRF-New Beginning: "In my opinion, these 15 million should not have been allocated. The Mayor of Sofia should have found reserves. Complete incompetence by the mayor of Sofia. From now on, different groups should stop opposing each other. Issues concerning nurses also need to be resolved. I firmly support this, and that is why the state should take action. But if these people don’t want the 15 million, let them return it today so that it can really be given to the nurses."

Vasil Pandov — MP from the WCC-DB parliamentary group: "It was precisely this majority that rejected the proposals to increase the salaries of nurses and doctors, creating dissatisfaction among everyone."

GERB’s coalition partners from 'There is Such a People' said that Vasil Terziev is mayor precisely to solve the problems of Sofia’s residents.

Toshko Yordanov — Chair of 'There is Such a People' Parliamentary Group:
“The mayor cannot say, ‘I will not break my budgetary framework to solve the transport problem, so let the government break its budgetary framework to solve my problem, because I am incompetent to handle it.’ He should step down and stop burdening the people with problems.”

The opposition saw giving money from the budget to Sofia's transport as a regional confrontation.

Kostadin Kostadinov – Chair of “Vazrazhdane”:
“A good statesman in this case — which, unfortunately, Borisov and the current government clearly are not — should treat everyone equally. But Borisov is used to this: he creates a crisis and then solves it himself.”

Taner Ali – MP from DRF-MRF Parliamentary Group:
“If all municipalities start requesting additional funds from the state to cover salaries, where will that leave the national budget? We need to think like statesmen, not solve problems in a piecemeal fashion.”

Ivelin Mihaylov – Leader of “Velichie”:
“We will expose all the schemes in the state through which the budget is being siphoned off, so that people can see that the 15 million BGN given by Borisov could easily come with a snap of the fingers from the thefts committed by these people.”

Today, the leader of GERB also raised the issue of the Botas agreement, particularly following his meeting with Turkish President Erdoğan.

Boyko Borissov - Chairman of GERB: “This agreement is extremely unfavourable for Bulgaria. Yes, they will get some money from Bulgaria, but they will lose good neighbourly relations — and I believe President Erdoğan has no intention of damaging Bulgaria-Turkey relations as neighbours.”

Borissov highlighted the long-standing cooperation between Bulgaria and Turkey in various areas, such as combating migration..