Bulgaria's ex-FM: we did what we could

Bulgaria's former Finance Minister Simeon Djankov has expressed his regret that his government could not increase the nation's incomes. "There were no such opportunities in the budget," he told reporters on Wednesday. "I worked with the Finance Ministry team for nearly four years. These years were difficult for the whole world, and especially for the European Union," Djankov said. "We did what we managed to do. We increased the minimum salary on three occasions," he noted. Djankov reminded that his main task was to keep the country financially stable. He wished "a more stable Europe" to his successor, Kalin Hristov. Hristov, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank, took over on Wednesday. He is part of the caretaker Cabinet that was installed by President Rosen Plevneliev after the center-right GERB government resigned amid massive protests in February.