Power and corruption

On corruption, Borissov said that none of his ministers was a thief. "I am sure of it"

"I don't need money. I could have put aside 30 to 40 million leva already but I don't need a single lev. I am in the public eye for the past 10 years and in positions which, if I wanted to steal, I would have done so already. Why would I want to compromise myself now when the people have given me so much trust? Is my house in Bankya not good enough? Or my yard? What would I need more?

On the issue of his close friend historian Bozhidar Dimitrov, who was appointed minister responsible for Bulgarians abroad and whose comments on Macedonia's past have always triggered controversy, Borissov said that he had told Dimitrov to restrain himself, at least when he talks on Macedonia.

"In front of all the ministers, I asked him to co-ordinate his statements with the Foreign Ministry. Dimitrov is always frank in his expression and I don't intend to change that. He is old enough to known what and when to say. Society has long ago accepted him in a certain way."

"It is easy being Prime Minister. You have a telephone with buttons and whichever minister you need, you can get on the phone at all times. It is up to you to solve the problems. That's why it is easy," Borissov said, asked to compare his current job to his previous posts as Interior Ministry chief secretary and mayor of Sofia.

"What I like is that, as Prime Minister, I have the chance to react to everything, the same way as I did in Interior Ministry."