Bulgaria's Ex-PM Knew About Irregularities in EU Funding on Education

Former Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has admitted to being aware of irregularities in an operational program managed by the Education Ministry back in 2016, while he was in office.

Borisov, however, has made it clear he refrained from radical action on purpose to preserve the stability of the government.

"Of course I knew," Borisov has told news website Dnevnik.bg after a meeting of his GERB party at its headquarters in the National Palace of Culture (NDK).

"I made [then Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav] Donchev write letters. What else should I have done? Should [I have caused] the government to collapse?" he has asked rhetorically, adding "every minister [was] also a party leader."

Meglena Kuneva, who served as Education Minister at the time, is also the head of Bulgaria of Citizens Movement (DBG), GERB's junior coalition partner in the former government.

At the time of the developments, in the summer of 2016, the cabinet had just bid farewell to one of its coalition partners, left-wing ABV party.

The currently serving caretaker minister announced on Monday the European Commission would cut EU funding for Bulgaria due to irregularities in the way Operational Program Science and Education for Smart Growth was being managed.

Kuneva later said at a press conference she would not run for a Parliament seat in the snap election on March 26.