President Says Past Year Was Time of Illusory Stability, Announces Establishment of Strategic Development Council

The past year was a time of illusory stability, growing lawlessness and eroding democratic achievements, President Rumen Radev said during a news conference which he and Vice President Iliana Iotova gave on Monday, marking their two years in office.

According to Radev, the Presidency has often been the last barrier to lobbyist legislation and irresponsible political action.

"In 2018, I continued to vigorously defend the Bulgarian positions on matters figuring on the European and global agenda," he said.

The President noted that his institution was involved in 19 international events during the reporting year and 12 foreign heads of state visited Bulgaria at his invitation.

He said he will set up a Council for Strategic Development of Bulgaria, comprising intellectuals and experts. The Council's job will be to propose "alternatives to the institutional stalemate and the economic and ideological stagnation in Bulgaria." The membership of the Council will be unveiled in the
 coming days.

Radev went on to discuss a number of other topics. He described the competitive bidding procedure for the acquisition of new fighter jets for the Bulgarian Air Force as "bogus." "While pledging allegiance to Europe, relying on European funds and looking forward to being admitted to the Eurozone, we cast off the European bidders from the procedure for a new type of fighter aircraft by violating the procedural rules," he said.

"After the failure of large energy projects, the modernization of the Armed Forces reinforced the impression that Bulgaria is losing sovereignty and is unable to make strategic decisions on its own," he argued.

According to Radev, the achievements reported by the government have not improved the lives of the majority of Bulgarians. The public expects urgent and comprehensive measures, it wants higher living standards and a way out of the demographic deadlock.

"This goal is doomed unless we do the most important thing: a radical change of the political environment and the style of governance. It is about time we draw a distinction between the corrupt and the robbed, between shady oligarchic business and honest entrepreneurship," he urged.

In order for Bulgarian society to advance, it is necessary to restore people's confidence in statehood, and this implies retribution, Radev said.

He called on the Criminal Asset Forfeiture Commission, the prosecution service, the Interior Ministry and the special services to "step inside the carefully avoided perimeter of power" and investigate "potential dependencies between politicians, business owners winning major government contracts, and possible figureheads."

Source: BTA