Borisov set to lead Bulgaria

Bulgaria’s centre-right GERB party is expected to start coalition talks after beating the socialists in a national election.

Party leader Boiko Borisov said he would head the government and move quickly on economic reforms.

Bulgaria is the EU’s poorest member and desperately needs cash and investment.

Nicknamed Batman because of his zeal for action, Borisov aims to cut out fraud and save Bulgaria from EU aid sanctions.

Last year, the country lost access to more than half a billion euro in EU funds as punishment for corruption.

Sceptics don’t expect dramatic change. One woman said: “I’m not surprised at all. I expected this. Nothing is going to change. Everything is going to be how we expected. That’s politics in Bulgaria.”

The GERB party, Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria, is expected to strike a deal with a right-wing grouping, the Blue Coalition.

With virtually all of the votes counted, GERB won 39.7 percent. The socialists polled less than half of that.

Copyright © 2009 euronews

tags: Bulgaria, Elections