PROFILE: Former bodyguard to forge Bulgaria's next cabinet

Jul 5, 2009, 18:48 GMT

Sofia - Boyko Borisov has been an firefighter, bodyguard, and karate coach, but he shot to prominence as the interior ministry's chief secretary - effectively a top cop in a country plagued by organized crime and corruption.

After Sunday's parliamentary elections, he and his new party GERB - which standing for Citizens for a European Development of Bulgaria - are in position to run the government.

According to early unofficial results, GERB soundly defeated Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev's Socialists and will be in position to forge a ruling coalition.

As a security firm owner, Borisov, 50, guarded the former Communist president Todor Zhivkov and the former King Simeon II, who eventually appointed him to the top-post in the interior ministry and on the political ticket of his National Movement, catapulting him into high politics.

Though qualifying for parliament in 2005 polls, he stayed in the ministry, but only for a few months - later that year triumphed in Sofia mayoral elections. Already in 2006 he became one of the founders of GERB and became its informal leader.

Since, he has harped an anti-corruption mantra, steadily earning points with it, as well as with the 'guy from the neighborhood' image he nurtures.

The obvious corruption in Stanishev's authorities only helped - after all, blatant embezzlement has cost Bulgaria 1 billion dollars in EU aid in 2008, just a year after it joined.

But Borisov and GERB have yet to prove themselves in Bulgaria. After all, the party so far took part only in European Parliament elections, a month ago, winning them as well. His critics accuse him of being a shallow populist without a real programme.

It is however not clear year if Borisov will seek to run the government or leave the post to somebody else from GERB. 'To hold the position of prime minister is not a goal in itself for me,' he said.