Bulgarian PM Borissov: I believe in God, not the Mayan calendar
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov is among the latest government leaders to reject claims based on an interpretation of the Mayan calendar that the world will end on December 21 2012.
Journalists asked Borissov about the matter when he attended a celebration of the renovation of the St George the Victorious church in Breznik.
Turning in the direction of the church steeple, Borissov made the sign of the cross over himself and said, “I believe in God – and whoever believes in God will be saved”.
The same day, his Cabinet appeared not to lack confidence about a future beyond December 21, voting close to 14 million leva (about seven million euro) for the referendum on the future of nuclear energy in Bulgaria to be held on January 27 2013, giving the Defence Minister a mandate to negotiate about the acquisition of fighter jets and report back in March and voting an increase to social old age pensions by 10 leva to 110 leva as of April 1.
Some Bulgarian-language media reports claimed that the country had seen an increase in actual or attempted suicides ahead of December 21, although the statistics cited in the reports did not appear to support the headlines, while other reports claimed that some rich Bulgarians had paid for shelters. Earlier reports indicated that any signs of hysteria in Bulgaria about the purported end of the world on December 21 were vastly less than in some other countries, while some young Bulgarians had responded to the date in characteristic fashion – by organising parties.
(Photo: Council of the European Union)
