He invited several non-party affiliated experts to the government, most prominent among them Simeon Dyankov, a former high-ranking World Bank official, and Rosen Plevneliev, manager of a large German subsidiary in Bulgaria.

[41] According to France24, "Once in power, he toured the country incessantly to inaugurate infrastructure projects but failed to enact structural reforms or to tackle the rampant corruption and organized crime that Brussels has long complained about".

[48] France's TotalEnergies energy company was granted an oil and gas exploration licence in 2012 to prospect for fossil fuels in Bulgaria's economic area of the Black Sea.

TotalEnergies won the tender in competition with ExxonMobil and United Kingdom's Melrose Resources, which had – as of 2012 – three exploration licences for areas of Bulgaria's Black Sea shelf.

Before that, Borisov had accepted the resignation of Finance Minister Simeon Djankov after a dispute over farm subsidies and promised a cut in power prices and punishing foreign-owned companies—a potential risk in damaging Bulgaria–Czech Republic relations—but protests continued.

[58] Reuters wrote, "Bulgaria's centre-right GERB party signed a coalition agreement on Thursday [4/27/17] with a nationalist alliance that will bring former prime minister Boiko Borisov back to power for his third term since 2009".

[63] During a regional summit Borisov announced that Bulgaria will participate in a joint bid for the 2030 FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Euro 2028 with Serbia, Romania and Greece.

In March 2019 a journalist investigation revealed that real estate company Arteks had sold a luxury property at prices sharply lower than the market value to a number of senior government officials.

Deputy Energy minister Krasimir Parvanov, Supreme Judicial Council member Gergana Mutafova and GERB MP Vezhdi Rashidov had also obtained sub-market price real estate from Arteks.

[69] Borisov's government received further criticism for its handling of African swine fever virus outbreaks which caused the culling of tens of thousands of pigs in several regions in July 2019.

EU Health and Food Safety commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis said that Bulgaria "had not done much" to prevent the outbreak and was facing the prospect of losing its entire pig farming industry to the disease.

[76] While Bulgaria initially reacted quickly by taking strong measures against COVID-19 in March 2020, Borisov's handling of the pandemic subsequently drew sharp criticism as the country was severely affected during the autumn months after a loosening of restrictions over the course of the summer season.

[79] During a cabinet session on 7 April Borisov once again criticised the other parliamentary parties for refusing to cooperate with GERB, however made a surprising offer to provide "10 MPs" in order to support a government formed by Slavi Trifonov.

[86] On 21 April Borisov released a video of himself petting his dog, Borko, at his residence in the town of Bankya, which was seen as a provocation to the National Assembly which had summoned him to appear to parliament on the day.

For one, Borisov contested claims made by Caretaker Finance Minister, Asen Vasilev, that the government budget lacked funds by pointing to the continuation of COVID-era fiscal policies.

[93] Borisov particularly engaged in verbal altercations with the Caretaker Minister of Interior, Boyko Rashkov, who he accused of being a Communist and implementing "Radev's orders" to eliminate GERB.

Specifically, he attacked the proposed budget of Minister of Finance, Asen Vasilev, who he accused of increasing the national debt and threatening Bulgaria's fiscal stability.

[104] On 2 February, Minister of Interior in the Petkov government, Boyko Rashkov, announced that new case files had arrived to the Ministry about Borisov's activity in the "Barcelona-gate" controversy.

[111] In a later press briefing on 24 March, he claimed that his arrest was related to his support of Euroatlanticist political views and compared himself to Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny.

Bokyo Borisov was accused of mafia ties by former ambassador to Bulgaria John Beyrle in 2006, in a leaked memo published by Wikileaks, of facilitating and covering up illegal deals with LUKOIL and trafficking methamphetamines.

CQ asserted that, "the most powerful politician in Bulgaria, Washington's newest ally in the global war on terror, is a close associate of known mobsters and linked to almost 30 unsolved murders in the Black Sea republic.

"[117] According to a confidential report compiled by former top U.S. law enforcement agency officials Borisov had used his position as the Chief Secretary of the Bulgarian Interior Ministry to help organized crime bosses attack their opponents.

[118] On 14 January 2011, journalists from the Bulgarian weekly newspaper Galeria distributed audio records of an alleged conversation between Borisov and Customs Agency Head Vanyo Tanov.

[122][123] A March 2013 investigation by the Prosecutor General suggests that the wire-tapping was ordered by Tzvetan Tzvetanov, Borisov's trusted deputy in the GERB party, with the aim of getting rid of Customs Head Vanyo Tanov.

Despite the disclosure of compromising documents, such as audio recordings or photos taken by one of his mistresses showing numerous bundles of 500-euro bills in a drawer, the Bulgarian justice system has never opened an investigation into the matter.

[130][131][132][133] Vice-president of the Party of European Socialists, Jan Marinus Wiersma, accused Borisov of referring to the Turks, Roma and pensioners in Bulgaria as "bad human material," and claimed that GERB "has already crossed the invisible line between right wing populism and extremism.

[141] In July 2012, he was included as a "historical personality" in history books for high school students, along with former GERB minister Rosen Plevneliev and European commissioner Kristalina Georgieva.

[144][145] In June 2020, photographs emerged that purported to show what appeared to be Prime Minister Borisov laying half-naked on a bed, next to a nightstand featuring a handgun and stacks of euro banknotes.

He also accused former Ombudswoman Maya Manolova, TV star Slavi Trifonov and his own former second in command Tsvetan Tsvetanov (who had just left and condemned the ruling party) of involvement in a plot to take photos of him while he was sleeping in a "KGB-Style" kompromat operation.

[146][147][148][149] A leaked audio recording was also posted on the internet, in which a voice that strongly resembled Borisov's spoke in very brass tones and insulted a member of the National Assembly, as well as various European leaders.