The European Peoples’ Party (EPP), the EU’s centre-right political faction, maintained its support to Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov on Monday (5 October) after a stormy debate marked by online broadcast failures.
The debate on “The Rue of law and Fundamental Rights in Bulgaria” was held during the European Parliament’s plenary session in Brussels as a reaction to an unprecedented wave of protests in the EU’s poorest country.
Thousands of Bulgarians have taken to the streets in the past 90 days calling on Borissov and prosecutor general Ivan Geshev to resign over rampant high-level corruption that has weakened state institutions and benefited powerful tycoons.
Geshev is widely considered as biased and unfit for the job while Borissov refuses to resign and has downplayed the protests.
Bulgarians trust EU institutions more than their own government and the debate was followed with great interest in the country. However, many were disappointed with the technical failures which prevented many from watching the debate online.
In a heated debate, lawmakers from the socialist party family, as well as the Greens and liberals slammed Bulgaria’s government for backsliding on democratic values and abusing EU funds.
In contrast, MEPs from the centre-right EPP group, to which Borissov’s GERB party belongs, defended him as a pro-European leader.
Manfred Weber, the EPP group leader in Parliament, published a tweet before the debate to reassure GERB party members that the European centre-right continues to support Borissov’s party.
According to Weber, citizens have a democratic right to protest, but the country doesn’t need early elections, as regular general elections will be held in late March anyway.
(EURACTIV)
