Sofia - Boyko Borisov has been an firefighter, bodyguard,
and karate coach, but he shot to prominence as the interior
ministry's chief secretary - effectively a top cop in a country
plagued by organized crime and corruption.
After Sunday's parliamentary elections, he and his new party GERB
- which standing for Citizens for a European Development of Bulgaria
- are in position to run the government.
According to early unofficial results, GERB soundly defeated Prime
Minister Sergey Stanishev's Socialists and will be in position to
forge a ruling coalition.
As a security firm owner, Borisov, 50, guarded the former
Communist president Todor Zhivkov and the former King Simeon II, who
eventually appointed him to the top-post in the interior ministry and
on the political ticket of his National Movement, catapulting him
into high politics.
Though qualifying for parliament in 2005 polls, he stayed in the
ministry, but only for a few months - later that year triumphed in
Sofia mayoral elections. Already in 2006 he became one of the
founders of GERB and became its informal leader.
Since, he has harped an anti-corruption mantra, steadily earning
points with it, as well as with the 'guy from the neighborhood' image
he nurtures.
The obvious corruption in Stanishev's authorities only helped -
after all, blatant embezzlement has cost Bulgaria 1 billion dollars
in EU aid in 2008, just a year after it joined.
But Borisov and GERB have yet to prove themselves in Bulgaria.
After all, the party so far took part only in European Parliament
elections, a month ago, winning them as well. His critics accuse him
of being a shallow populist without a real programme.
It is however not clear year if Borisov will seek to run the
government or leave the post to somebody else from GERB. 'To hold the
position of prime minister is not a goal in itself for me,' he said.
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