With a categorical “no”, GERB leader Boyko Borisov answered a question from journalists whether adjustments to the budget were possible. On the sidelines of the parliament, he also commented on the topic of the “Magnitsky” sanctions, stating that in his opinion Delyan Peevski was unfairly subjected to them.
This is a coalition budget. GERB's last budget was in 2020, Borisov pointed out. Regarding the criticisms by Ivaylo Mirchev and Martin Dimitrov that the budget is very left-wing, the GERB leader said: “They should have told Asen Vassilev this when we were in the assembly and when expenses were rising for pensions, salaries, and everything else. When they collected the money from “Hemus“, when they collected the money that we had put in accounts for Veliko Tarnovo Ruse and so they covered the budget. The inertia that has been leading for these four years is like this“.
According to Borisov, 10 days ago, the PP-DB party talked about how there was no money for young doctors, how there was no money for mothers, for nurses, etc., and now the ruling party has found money for all of them, “suddenly it seemed to them that it was not good to give money to entire classes, but to cut from them“.
When asked whether former Prime Minister Mariya Gabriel negotiated with Britain to lift British sanctions, Borisov said: “I don't know if Gabriel negotiated, but I personally negotiated with Foreign Minister David Cameron when he was here. These are publications from media that were sent there. And these are the answers that Vladi Goranov received“.
When asked whether he specifically negotiated the sanctions against the leader of “DPS-New Beginning“ Delyan Peevski, Borisov said that he spoke for all Bulgarians who unfairly fell under these sanctions, including former Deputy Minister of Economy Alexander Manolev. Asked whether Peevski was among those unfairly hit by sanctions, Borisov replied: “I think so, of course, because I am convinced that Peevski did not sell passports. Whoever sold them, they arrested him“.
Borisov said that he was involved when the sanctions were imposed: “When the sanctions were issued, I was at the US embassy together with the ambassador at the time and with Jim O'Brien. And I know everything about these sanctions. And besides, I don't consider it necessary and I have spoken with many of the partner services on this topic. There, the question of how billions of dollars left the refinery and went towards Russia is even stronger. And that is what is being worked on at the moment“.
When asked who submitted the so-called publications about the sanctions, the GERB leader said that “there are people who are directly sanctioned and can answer this question“. But he specified that they had spoken on these topics many times in his office with Kiril Petkov, Asen Vassilev, and especially with Hristo Ivanov on how to lift the sanctions on Delyan Peevski, with Ivanov and Vassilev cooperating "with all means".
When asked if he had received any current indications from the British and American authorities and when they had spoken, Borisov said that he had received "direct indications from Radev that the oligarchy was collecting money for some of his projects". "I still haven't heard who these people are who allow themselves to cheat and collect money for Radev. He said it personally", the GERB leader pointed out. He called on Radev to say who these oligarchs he was referring to.