The plan of “Continuing the Change - Democratic Bulgaria“ for the development of Bulgaria includes a package of measures, including policies for income growth, without raising taxes, introducing incentives for business, as well as a Protocol for combating corruption. This was stated by Bogdan Bogdanov from “Continuing the Change“ in the program “Darik's Debate: The New 240“. He is the leader of the PP-DB list in Pleven and Montana.
“We are against raising taxes in the current situation with the current economic environment. On the contrary, in our opinion, we should have tax breaks for companies that invest in the less developed regions in Northern and Northwestern Bulgaria, which have literally been abandoned in the last 15 years“, explained the economic development strategy of Bulgaria Bogdanov. He gave an example of what was done by the two short regular governments with the leading participation of the PP – in 2022 and 2024 – in Shumen, in Plovdiv, in Pleven, in Parvomay there were priority investments, and for the first time companies received direct financial state support to open dozens and even hundreds of jobs“, explained the former Minister of Economy. He specified that business received support without repression and pressure, provided sustenance to many people and thus raised the standard of living of citizens in these regions. Bogdanov was categorical that the PP wants to continue these policies in the future.
The leader of the PP-DB lists in Pleven and Montana explained that despite the severe fuel crisis and high electricity prices in 2022 and 2023, after Russia attacked Ukraine, the PP offices provided compensation for business and consumers. “We increased incomes. Bulgaria got off the bottom. Our incomes began to grow at one of the fastest rates in recent years. We made sure that Bulgarian business was not repressed and crushed, but received the state support expected for years. Priority projects took place that were previously only talked about. This is something we want to continue in the future“, said Bogdanov. And he added: “But something very important that happened - we stood up to the thieving machine that has been robbing our country for years“.
The only thing we heard and so imprinted in our minds from the parliamentary rostrum by GERB representatives was: “Don't touch organized crime, there will be chaos“. Chaos indeed ensued. The corruption machine has not just penetrated the institutions, but the stolen funds are stimulating corruption in a certain circle. To counteract this model, the PP signed a Protocol for the Elimination of Corruption, which does not only include clearing the judicial system of corrupt and status quo-serving “Peevski-Borisov“ circles, and many more reforms.
Bogdan Bogdanov said that the biggest problems for Bulgaria were clearly defined and shouted by hundreds of thousands in the squares at the end of last year, when people came out to overthrow the last government with a very clear call that the portioning of the state must stop, that we cannot continue to live in a country where governance occurs through certain circles, driven by economic interests. “We cannot live in a country where portions are distributed to certain businesses. A country in which we do not have quality education, healthcare due to chronic corruption problems, which over time have grown into direct theft in key sectors, including infrastructure, including healthcare“, Bogdanov was categorical.
The leader of the PP-DB lists in Pleven and Montana specified that there are many accompanying problems in Bulgaria, including the deteriorating economic situation around the world, the current supply chains, problems with fuel, the prices of energy resources. “All these are problems that we have solved over the years, we have dealt with them. These are temporary problems that we simply have to go through and do not depend on us. But what really depends on us, so that we can ultimately really put our country in order, is to have a clear majority in parliament, which must say “End” of the occupied country from a model called “Peevski-Borisov““, Bogdan Bogdanov cut off.
According to him, the latest draft budget, which actually brought down the “Zhelyazkov“ cabinet, is the plan to increase taxes, to raise spending to levels that we did not have even in the biggest crises – COVID, energy crisis, the war in Ukraine – even then, spending did not rise above 40% of GDP. “In each of the budgets currently, we have maintained financial discipline so that Bulgaria can become part of the eurozone with a deficit of up to 3%. We have not spent more than we can afford. On the contrary, there was something for everyone – there was something for business, there was something for compensation for the growth of energy resources”, Bogdanov also said.
He specified that the PP-DB proposes to return to strict financial discipline up to a 3% deficit, state spending up to 40% of GDP, cutting some spending. Bogdanov asked his opponents in the studio from GERB and BSP, who until recently were part of the government of the “Zhelyazkov“ cabinet, why their KEVR raised electricity prices twice last year by a total of 12%, and their government stopped compensation for the electricity business.
The PP candidate for People's Representative continued with the questions – “Why has no GERB government and no caretaker government of President Rumen Radev been able to collect 1 leva in tax from “Lukoil“ in Bulgaria for years?“ Bogdanov recalled that the refinery paid tax to the Bulgarian treasury at a time when our business needed this money the most and “we even imposed a 50% additional corporate tax on the taxes when it came to excess profits. This way we can help our business, not with empty words“.
According to the former Minister of Economy, when talking about hypocrisy, it is important to point out the facts: 700 days of official offices of former President Rumen Radev, 4 prime ministers, dozens of ministers. “So let's talk about who did what, who promised what and did not fulfill it, let's look at these facts and see what has actually been done. I said what we have done – "We did not raise taxes, we did not owe Bulgaria tens of billions, we did not stop compensations to businesses, on the contrary, we did the opposite and it can be easily verified," Bogdanov said.
Regarding the foreign policy of our country, he stated that this is actually a general vision of what kind of world we want to live in: "Do we want to be in a world of prosperity, of investments, of free travel, movement of people, of opportunities for development, including education outside the borders of our country - what happened after joining the European Union, and now after our full integration with our entry into Schengen and the eurozone." So we have no doubts here and have never had any doubts about where Bulgaria's path is, namely to the West and where we can actually really build the potential that our country deserves and increase the competitiveness of our business“.
In his words, from the point of view of the current situation, we must certainly first of all think about and protect the interest of Bulgaria, namely opening new markets for our business, including with the recent agreements that were signed for free trade with Mercosur. The PP also stands behind having much more active economic diplomacy in priority markets for us and in the East. “Something that is very important at the moment is that any kind of diplomacy related to more efficient energy resources, so that our business can survive in this difficult situation, is a priority for us“, summed up Bogdan Bogdanov. He recalled that with regard to the war in Ukraine, the PP has stated its firm and consistent position more than once or twice - that Russia must withdraw from the territories of Ukraine and pay reparations for all the destruction caused. With regard to the war in the Middle East, the candidate-MP stated that there is absolutely no danger to Bulgaria, everything else only instills fear in people.
Bogdan Bogdanov called on citizens on the air of Darik Radio to support the PP-DB on April 19 with ballot number 7, “so that we can stop the thefts and outrages and return normality“.