For the third consecutive week the Bulgarian printed media lay the emphasis on the resignations of high-ranking officials in relation with the acquisition of high-end apartments at an allegedly below market value. Dnevnik daily informs that three high-ranking officials handed in their resignations on Tuesday only. Deputy District Governor of Sofia district Tomi Nikolov resigned over media publications that he had built illegally a house over a farmland. Bulgarian MP Delyan Dobrev handed in his resignation for the second time over what he called “fake news” that his relatives acquired real estate properties at record-low prices. The third resignation was handed in by the Mayor of the coastal town of Sozopol Panayot Reyzy. He resigned after he was accused of misappropriation. Panayot Rayzy told the Bulgarian National Radio that he resigned from GERB party only, but not from the position of Mayor of Sozopol.

The Bulgarian printed media reminds that last week this country’s Premier Boyko Borissov called on all people involved in the scandal related to the purchase of new properties at below market prices to resign or take a long leave until the competent authorities complete their investigations. Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev convened the consultative Council on National Security to discuss measures against high-level corruption. However, his declaration was not supported by the political parties which attended the council. Later, President Radev called on the Bulgarian citizens to show intolerance to each form of corruption and inaction of the state institutions. Capital daily comments on its first pages that the events at times seem beyond the control of Premier Borissov and that the multiple resignations handed in over the recent weeks do not calm the situation down, but paradoxically at this stage the stability of the government does not seem to have been shaken and the stability of the cabinet does not look at risk at least until the elections for European Parliament at the end of May.

Dnevnik daily reminds that after the latest resignations the victims to the property scandal became seven in number. Bulgaria’s former Minister of Justice Tsetska Tsacheva handed her resignation first, followed by Bulgaria’s Deputy Minister of Energy Krasimir Parvanov and this country’s Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Vanya Koleva. Tsvetan Tsvetanov left his position of Chairman of GERB’s Parliamentary group. Moreover, the Chairman of the anti-corruption commission Plamen Georgiev and Deputy Prosecutor General and Director of the National Investigation Service Borislav Sarafov also took leave. The Supreme Prosecutor’s Office of Cassation and the anti-corruption commission have launched inspections of the properties acquired by Bulgaria’s Minister of Tourism Nikolina Angelkova and the member of the Parliament from the Bulgarian Socialist Party Valeri Zhablyanov.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov