On Friday, December 19, I left the parliamentary group of the ITN and the party. My relatives, colleagues at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and my friends know that even after the government was formed, I stated that the last day of this parliament would also be the last day in the ITN. My absolute disagreement with this choice of leadership clashed with the promises to the voters for a better education system, increased standards and funding, reform. This was published on his Facebook page by Prof. Andrey Chorbanov, who left the PG of the ITN in parliament on December 19, quoted by bTV. Here is more from his publication:
We have imposed a non-partisan style of work in the Education and Science Committee for the benefit of the public interest, because there are no parties or propaganda here. As the Chairman of the Education and Science Committee, now is the time to thank all members of the committee from all parties for their active work in this non-partisan sphere, ALWAYS maintaining a good tone in communication in the committee and the lack of aggression when disagreeing with individual policies. I thank all members of the committee for the kind words they said to me upon leaving this high post. I am proud of the work of the committee, and I will additionally publish a report on the work and the normative documents adopted in it. I also thank the technical team and the referees with whom we worked during this time. I also thank Minister Krasimir Valchev for the dialogic nature and constructive joint work. Thank God - in education and science, Borisov, Peevski, Asen Vassilev, Mirchev and the other extreme leaders had no work and no influence. The Commission consisted only of people who were sympathetic to education and science.
We Bulgarians are woven from some kind of frantic urge to give moral justice and values. Everyone perceives ourselves as the final authority, determining good and bad, right or wrong, beautiful or ugly. We have to get hung up on everything possible under each post of someone. Why, people. If there is a normal photo in a family or private setting, things like – – why is this guy always taking pictures with his wife, why is he constantly showing off with her, hasn't he eaten, hasn't he been traveling“ start. – Oh, yes - that's how politicians are”, and what not. No one will pay attention to the fact that I, like any normal person, have done the same things without being a politician. I will continue to do them and I know that there will always be dissatisfied, haters, and envious people. All people to whom you have done nothing wrong, but they want to show you that they don't like you, they don't like your clothes, your wife, your way of life. Why do they do it - well, I have no answer. I never go into the profiles of people I don't like and if I happen to come across such a post, I just move on, usually without reading it. That's why it's no coincidence that a lot of people block the possibility of comments, something I myself never do. On the other hand, I gladly block and delete anyone who crosses the line of decency.
For me, loyalty and responsibility are the main virtues. I am the founder of ITN, an MP in all 6 parliaments in which ITN participates. I am constantly asked why I didn't leave ITN earlier? It's very simple, how do you leave a party that you created? I am not a random person and a lowly trickster who appears only when the party participates in power and to get hold of some position of power. I was in the ITN during our most difficult times, when some people were bargaining with us in the corridors with anything and everything to stay in the “democratic” government, we were also outside the parliament, we were also in open opposition. At none of these moments did I succumb to pressure from the outside. I was an ITN. This is my loyalty. Many leave at the first difficulty or deviation from the right path, but for me it has never been so easy. Of course, every loyalty has its limits, it is never unconditional. It took time for me to understand that this party is now obsessed with other people, with other values and other morals - different from mine. 95% of professionals in all fields left us, replaced by less suitable, but more dedicated people. Because professionals are critical, and dedicated people are not. Amateurism became the norm, arrogance - a role model. It took me time to understand that I was not leaving ITN, but ITN was leaving me. I simply closed the door.
Work in the field of science and education is my only priority in the National Assembly. This is a non-partisan cause that should not be influenced by purely political biases and propaganda. Until the last moment, I hoped that our program, which states that education and science are the most important priority for the development of the state, was in force. The failure to adopt the state budget for 2026, as well as the failure to adopt the Law on School and Preschool Education, on which we have been working for 7 months, made me understand that my presence in the parliamentary group and the party is not just pointless, but that I am becoming a participant in a process that I clearly do not like. This was absolutely irresponsible and unstatesmanlike in its manifestation. For me, responsible behavior implies voting on the state budget after you have governed for a year. You ask why I did not leave parliament too - it is quite simple. Because immediately down the chain, a person will come in my place who will support this process that is not liked by our voters. Let the leadership put the right people in the right places in the next elections.
I constantly hear nonsense that maybe I am in parliament because of the high salary and other privileges. The truth is that I do not have “other” privileges, and as for the salary, I do not think any of you know what my income was before parliament. They did not take me to the National Assembly on the way from the field, and I have 33 years of experience in my profession, the last of which in the highest position possible. I have always been financially independent and have lived the same way as I do now. I was wealthy before the parliament, I will remain wealthy after it. I do not have any interesting benefits for me and my family during my work in the National Assembly, my relatives study and work in a normal environment. I do not have stocks, offshore companies, cryptocurrency, gold and whatever you can think of. But I have people next to me who are worth much more. There are probably MPs hanging around the benches in Parliament because of a salary and a Facebook post that they work in the National Assembly, but that is not my case.
I have never, ever asked for any appointment to any position. I have always thought that there are normal processes and that the best in their field should occupy the relevant positions. This is far from the case, but I will not go into details. In fact, I have not asked for anything and anyone can confirm this. I had no and have no ambition for anything other than working to help education and science, which continue to be the least funded in our country among the EU countries. This is even shameful.
I must also say something important. When I left the parliamentary group on Friday, hundreds of people called or wrote to me. I was called by MPs from all parliamentary groups, politicians, relatives, friends, colleagues, journalists, just acquaintances and strangers – all of them congratulating me on my choice to leave. I have to thank them for something very important - only now do I understand how many people accepted my choice of party politics, trusting me and my qualities, believing in me without allowing themselves to criticize this very choice, accepting my decision. Because people in this world and in this life are not divided by parties, but by honesty, integrity, loyalty and responsibility. Sometimes by love. Because you can be honest and honorable in the wrong party or a real scoundrel in the “right” one. But friends, colleagues and relatives know it. Thank you.
I have not quarreled with anyone in ITN. Do not expect bitterness, bile and aggression from me. Let alone records, chats and other unworthy activities with personal communication. I am saddened by everything that could have been different, but did not happen. I am leaving a place that was my home, but I no longer feel it as such. What I can say now is that in every party there are people who want to work for the benefit of society and are there for this purpose, but often the ambitions for power, greed and outright demagogy among the leaders distort even the best idea. I am talking about all the parties in the parliament. And finally, I will quote Stalin, who long ago stated – “Cadres decide everything“.
I will continue to walk the streets of Sofia with my family, eat roasted corn and drink mulled wine. I did it before, I do it now. Even if not everyone likes it. And I will tell the critics not to forget that not everyone likes them either.