In his first in-depth interview after his crushing election defeat, former prime minister Sergei Stanishev said that he respected new Prime Minister Boiko Borissov’s knack for seizing the moment and his skill at self-promotion. Indeed, Borissov is unparalleled in Bulgaria for his ability to get the best out of every situation.

His omnipresence in the media is admirable, to say the least. He seems constantly on the go, following every aspect of life and ready to act whenever someone is in trouble. This "superman" image is confirmed daily.

One such occasion involved a car crash on August 21. As she was driving to Samokov, Stefka Kostadinova, an Olympic gold medallist and head of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee, stumbled upon an accident involving a severely injured motorist. Kostadinova decided to stop and assist the young man. For this she certainly deserves our admiration.

She drove him to Samokov’s hospital where he was given the best treatment. So far so good, one might say. But Kostadinova later told the media that such was her concern for the young man’s life that she had decided to phone Borissov. His response was apparently immediate and efficient. "I called Prime Minister Boiko Borissov directly; he must have given the order very quickly because by the time we were at the hospital in Samokov a line of medics and police were waiting to assist us," Kostadinova told Trud daily.  

I wonder whom the motorist should thank now, Kostadinova perhaps, because she stopped to help, or Borissov who was diverted from affairs of state and put the entire Samokov police and medical community on alert?

I also wonder how doctors must have felt when Borissov called them on that particular Friday afternoon, asking them to help the injured party. It must have been quite a scene.

Then again, one could also wonder why the Prime Minister should bother himself with such cases. And why the hell do we need the 112 hotline number that was widely advertised as the answer to all emergency situations in Bulgaria and for which we, as taxpayers, have paid dearly?

If Borissov interferes whenever such things happen we should abolish the emergency hotline and have his number programmed on our mobiles instead. This system seems to have worked quite well for the unfortunate motorist concerned. The other option is to hope that, whenever we run into some kind of trouble, one of Borissov’s friends and acquaintances, such as Kostadinova, will be on hand to call him and arrange the VIP treatment.

In this particular young man’s case, it may have saved his life. Kostadinova’s case, however, shows how well medical authorities are rated by the public - at least when they are summoned by influential people.