Prime Minister Denkov: The quick cancellation of Lukoil's derogation will lead to a jump in fuel prices in our country

I am confident that the budget will eventually be passed and will be realistic. This is what the Prime Minister Academician Nikolay Denkov said to the Bulgarian National Radio. He commented that one of the unknowns is the payment under the Recovery and Sustainability Plan, whether it will be this year or next year.

Regarding Boyko Borisov's comment that what can take GERB out of government is corruption and the budget, Denkov commented that he hopes that after the elections, GERB will actually enter into this work mode that everyone needs and refers to the work on the budget for next year and the constitutional changes. What is important, which I have told the finance minister, is to make the best possible budget that he can put together with income and expenditure that are realistic.

Denkov commented on the issue of the deficit and non-fulfillment of the revenue part. He assured that there was no danger beyond the limits of the three percent deficit. An expert approach must be taken, Denkov said. Regarding the priorities of GERB-SDS for infrastructure and for municipalities, Denkov emphasized that the capital expenditure budget proposed for next year is 50 percent larger than this year's, we are talking about BGN 12 billion, which is a huge increase in the budget for capital expenditure. Claims that someone is underestimating capital costs are completely false. With regard to the part for the municipalities, we have a fund of BGN 1 billion, which has been foreseen, a fund that has never existed before. The claims that there are no funds for the municipalities are also false. These funds should be accepted by the municipalities when there are specific projects, added Denkov.

Regarding the report by the Center for the Study of Democracy, which claimed that the export of fuels from Bulgaria, produced from Russian oil, contributed to 1 billion euros in revenue for the Kremlin, Denkov said that it was clear that the government expressed support for the European prosecutor general Laura Koveshi, who was visiting Bulgaria and met with Denkov, to take control of compliance with EU-imposed sanctions on Russian oil.

Denkov stated that he has prepared a statement of claim, which he will file on Monday. I will sue Delyan Dobrev, Denkov said and added that Delyan Dobrev will go to court to explain these personal attacks. I have carefully read the report, there are many insinuations in it that suggest something may have happened, but according to the Prime Minister they are based on information that is not true. According to him, if the proposal for a three-day cancellation of the derogation is implemented, such a proposal has already been submitted by the People's Representative from GERB-SDS Delyan Dobrev, the scenario reported by the Security Council regarding the lack of enough oil for the refinery, which very quickly will run out of stock and fuel prices will skyrocket. All this is very clearly written in reports that came to the Security Council, Denkov pointed out. According to him, that is why the government will insist on a phased transition - until the end of September next year, in order to eliminate this risk to the state, he added.

Regarding the allegations about the "assembly" and the lack of support for the government, Academician Nikolay Denkov commented that he does not give up easily and has a high threshold of purposefulness, because he wants them to achieve the goals set in the management program and to catch up with tasks on which they are behind. If GERB goes wrong in what it supports, my stay here will be meaningless, he declared. Denkov explained that he would leave even if the National Assembly adopts a budget that is unfulfillable by the government, as well as if GERB says - we don't want this government. I need their support, we must work together, said Denkov.

Regarding the vote of no confidence in the government, scheduled for this week, Denkov emphasized that, in its main part, this vote of no confidence has no basis.

Regarding the relations with the forces in the parliament supporting the government - GERB-SDS, Denkov said that they have elements of a coalition agreement, since GERB-SDS also participated in the writing of the management program, which they supplemented. Pretending that you have nothing to do with this process is, to say the least, incorrect, commented the Prime Minister. He emphasized that what is missing is a mechanism to make the important decisions.