Rolex of Doom: Bulgarian cleric fails to sell gold watch to cover his church’s electricity bill
A high-ranked Bulgarian cleric, who wanted to sell his gold Rolex in order to pay the electricity bills of his penniless church, couldn’t find a buyer for the expensive watch in the EU's weakest economy.
Metropolitan Nikolay of the city of Plovdiv announced plans to
part with his watch in February after his Saint Marina church
received a 3,000-lev (around $2,000) power bill.
"I'd rather go to heaven without a watch than to hell with
one," he told state BTA agency back then.
But it seems the cleric would have to travel to the spirit world
with the watch firmly on his wrist as the public tender for the
Rolex failed to attract any bidders on Sunday due to the high
asking price of 11,600 lev (around $7,700).
Nikolay's Rolex as well as a Lincoln car owned by his counterpart
from the city of Varna have attracted anger and criticism from the
country’s press and general public.
Bulgaria's Orthodox Church is experiencing severe money shortages,
despite being the largest property owner in the country after the
state. Paying utility bills became an even bigger problem as the
cost of electricity in the country more than doubled in
January.
The move resulted in tens of thousands taking to the streets in protest, which forced the resignation of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov last month.
The rallies continue in Bulgaria, but on a smaller scale now, with hundreds taking part in demonstrations in different parts of the country for a fourth Sunday in a row.
On March 10, the protesters convened again, this time demanding
a halt to the planned sell-off of the state railway's cargo unit
and an audit of all the privatization deals.
But with fewer people showing up, the protests are likely to lose steam over the coming weeks.
An early election is scheduled for May 12 in Bulgaria, with Borisov's center-right GERB party and the Socialists showing equal results in the opinion polls, suggesting difficulties in forming a government and more political instability.
