For the first time, Bulgaria openly defended its national interest. This was stated by Prime Minister Rumen Radev from Paris, where, at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, he attended the traditional military parade on the occasion of France's national holiday.
The reason for his comment was the decision to exclude Patriarch Kirill and Russian businessman Vagit Alekperov from the latest package of European sanctions against Russia.
“For the first time, Bulgaria is openly declaring its national interest and for the first time we see that there is nothing terrible in this“, said the Prime Minister.
In his words, the European Union is strong only when its member states are also strong.
“They can only be strong when they defend their interests, and this behavior is respected by all partners“, said the Prime Minister.
The budget deficit
When asked whether he would support a review of the budget deficit between the first and second readings, The Prime Minister replied that this is not possible, since the current deficit is inherited from previous administrations.
„How can we review it, as the deficit is inherited from other administrations. It is very, very high. We have done everything possible to reduce it to an acceptable level“, said Radev.
Regarding the European Commission's proposal to initiate an excessive deficit procedure against Bulgaria, the Prime Minister stated that a similar procedure has already been applied to a number of European Union member states.
„This is a procedure that is imposed on many EU countries. I do not accept criticism, help and advice from parties that brought the country to this catastrophe and brought the country to an excessive deficit“, said Radev.
The Prime Minister announced that the budget for 2027 will be prepared within a few months.