“The closure of Kremikovtzi steel mill was postponed because the authorities were afraid of protests,” Podkrepa labour union president Konstantin Trenchev told Bulgarian National Television.

Asked about the numerous protest around the country held lately, Trenchev said that police arbitrariness (in dealing with demonstrators) had increased and victims would “defend their rights in Brussels”.

“Just a few days ago, the European Commission withdrew hundreds of millions of euro, which means that, according to the Union, European taxpayers' money was not being spent correctly by the Bulgarian Cabinet, leaving aside hints of corruption among Bulgarian authorities. In that context, we have to ask ourselves the question: what is being done with Bulgarian taxpayers' money?” Union of Democratic Forces lawyer Valentin Stoyanov said on the morning show of private broadcaster bTV.

Vladimir Karolev, from the National Movement for Stability and Progress (NMSP), said on the same show that, thanks to the efforts of NMSP, Bulgaria was one of the countries with the lowest tax rates.

“I admit there is a problem with spending European citizens' money,” Karolev said. “I cannot say that there is no corruption in Bulgaria’s Cabinet. There is corruption everywhere.”