"Sofia's budget is like Pernik's water pipes: What pours in, swiftly sinks without reaching the people!" This is what the independent municipal councillor Boris Bonev wrote in his Facebook profile. According to him after 11 years of governance , the majority of GERB in the municipal council has not managed to solve any systemic problem of the capital.
We publish the full text of Bonev's position:
Mrs. Fandakova, at the opening of your campaign, you said that you would change the city not with words, but with work. However, the first post-election budget does not show that you've done your job. It is amazingly similar to last year's budget and the one of 2 and 3 years ago as a structure but not as a size. Because the most important thing, the Capital Program, reduces the investment funds by almost BGN 200 million or by 1/3. And this means much less money for development.
In 2020 it is not clear what would happen faster, better or easier in the development of Sofia. There are no new ideas, problems are not foreseen, they are being caught up with. I have heard you repeatedly boast about how "the budget reflects the new and changed governance priorities that the citizens of Sofia have voted for". New and changed? Attention to neighborhoods, subway development, urban transport, ecology… What about education, healthcare and culture – oh, yes, you’ve mentioned them too. So your priorities include everything, but then the results are nothing, as usual.
It doesn't work that way, Mrs. Fandakova. It is the first budget after the elections that sets the time for substantial reforms and unpopular measures that the city needs. It's time for real surrounding areas improvements. It's time to finish projects we've heard about for years like Todor Kableshkov Blvd. It is time to solve the parking problem by building multi-storey and erecting parking lots, it is time to have sufficient nursery places, it is time to expropriate the necessary terrains for the development of Sofia and justly compensate their owners. It's time for our money to be spent more efficiently and transparently. It's time to breathe some fresh air. The time has come, but it's not yours.
After 11 years in power, this majority failed to solve any of Sofia's systemic problems. Yes, it does not come like a silver bullet. It comes with smart planning, effective management, accountability and integrity, with a vision for the city.
Each budget is a pragmatic image of politics. For 2020, I see the same black-and-white face from your campaign billboards. It is gray in our city and with such a budget and such a policy it will continue to be gray …
