Covid-19: Bulgaria’s PM backs ‘vaccine passports’
Ahead of an online meeting on European Union heads of government on February 25, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov has backed the idea of digital Covid-19 “vaccine passports”.
Borissov said that there should be “electronic” or “green” passports for all European citizens who had been vaccinated or who had undergone Covid-19, so that they would not need to take PCR tests when travelling or go into quarantine.
“With (Austrian Chancellor) Sebastian Kurz, with the Greek and other colleagues from the European Council, we have co-ordinated the proposal, to ease things for everyone who had been vaccinated or who has been ill, so that they can lead normal lives,” Borissov said.
As Deutsche Welle’s English service reported on February 25, there are differences of opinion among EU leaders on the issue of “vaccine passports”.
As Health Minister Kostadin Angelov had done earlier in the day, Borissov criticised large vaccine manufacturers, saying that they should comply with their agreements with the European Commission so as not to jeopardise EU countries’ vaccination plans.
Borissov said that EU member states had behaved correctly in making payments, but nevertheless deliveries did not arrive within the agreed terms and quantities. He said that he would raise the matter at the European Council meeting.
“We are doing everything necessary and I hope that the Commission will act much harder, if necessary – there is a court, and we will get our money back for what we have invested.
“I remind these big global companies that we have invested so that they produce vaccines. And it is not fair, if someone gives them more money from the EU, to send them more vaccines. This is even unacceptable,” he said.
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