Boyko Borissov argued that the demonstrations held the previous evening in the so-called triangle of power were organised with a single objective, which in his view is to block the approval of the 2026 state budget that will be calculated in euros. He told reporters in parliament that the transition toward the eurozone creates clear political discomfort for “We Continue the Change” and “Democratic Bulgaria”. The GERB leader repeated that the protests are meant to obstruct the adoption of what he described as the first budget in euros.
Further reading: Sofia and Varna Fill the Streets in Support of “Political Prisoners”
Borissov said he was not aware of the exact statements made by the WCC and DB figures who attended the gathering, but he emphasised that these were the same individuals involved in his arrest in the past, naming Kiril Petkov and Asen Vassilev. He also pointed to the size of the Sofia Municipality administration, which he described as numbering around one thousand employees. Regarding the citizens who joined the protest, he commented that public demonstrations are a legitimate expression of discontent. According to him, the intention of the organisers is to occupy the parliament building and prevent MPs from passing the euro based budget.
He added that he personally feels dissatisfaction as well and referred to a remark by businessman Petkov, who claimed that time spent behind bars shapes political leaders. Borissov said that the experience Petkov mentioned helped him restore GERB’s influence and authority. He insisted that the businessman was correct in this assessment. Building on this point, he proposed that the Electoral Law should be adjusted to provide certain privileges to individuals who have been held in detention, both from his political circle and from opposing groups. He suggested that such people could receive an additional fifteen to twenty parliamentary seats. For context, the state budget is traditionally measured in Bulgarian lev, which is fixed at 1.96 BGN per euro. Thus, the debate concerns a financial framework amounting to roughly 0.51 euro per lev.
Speaking again to journalists about the protests in Sofia and other cities, which were triggered by the detentions of Blagomir Kotsev and Nikola Barbutov, Borissov repeated that the aim of the demonstrations is to stop the approval of the upcoming euro denominated budget. He reaffirmed that he shares certain grievances expressed by protesters and again cited Petkov’s comment about bars shaping leadership. In his opinion, the process of joining the eurozone continues to unsettle PP and DB. He reiterated his earlier idea for electoral changes that would benefit political figures who have spent time in custody, stating that both sides should receive comparable treatment through such bonuses.