„I have not seen such bitterness and such an attack on the government in the first hundred days.“ This is what the MP from "Progressive Bulgaria" said Anton Kutev on BNT, quoted by novini.bg.
According to him, the first months of the government are passing under unusually strong political pressure and constant attacks from the opposition.
He noted that in the past there have been sharp clashes between the ruling party and the opposition, but according to him, the current situation has no analogues.
„I have seen an aggressive attitude towards the government before, but honestly, I have never seen anything like this.“
According to Kutev, almost every topic becomes an occasion for political attack - regardless of whether it is about the budget, American planes, procedures or personnel decisions.
„It is not that it amazes or surprises me. I am simply observing how things are developing,” he said.
Kutev defended MP Konstantin Prodanov after criticism of his remark, defined by his political opponents as offensive to Finance Minister Temenuzhka Petkova. According to him, the statement was taken out of context and does not constitute a personal attack.
„No, he did not insult personally. It was about an absolute metaphor, which probably fell on her in this case. Perhaps the proximity to Temenuzhka Petkova’s name was inappropriate, but he did not mean her and that was absolutely clear“, said Kutev.
He emphasized that Prodanov cannot be defined as a person with a discriminatory attitude. According to him, the controversial remark was directed at the budget and the way in which financial indicators are presented.
„It was simply a metaphor for the budget. The logic is that when you smooth and polish something, it doesn't become different. It remains the same.“
As an example, Kutev pointed to the budget deficit.
„When you make the budget deficit look like 3%, and it is 9 or 7, it doesn't become 3%. It's still 7%.“
According to him, the public conversation is increasingly shifting to secondary topics instead of the real problems.
„These are out-of-context remarks that have a definite logic in their very statement. And it is clear to everyone,“ said Kutev.
According to him, the reason for these attacks is related to the collapse of the current governance model and the loss of influence of certain political centers.
In the interview, Kutev also commented on the criticism of the government for its relations with the European Union, the United States and Russia. He stressed that Bulgaria's foreign policy should be based on both the national interest and the country's international commitments.
„What we are categorically doing is to uphold an independent foreign policy for Bulgaria, to the extent that this is possible for a small country like ours,“ he said.
Kutev stressed that membership in NATO and the European Union carries specific responsibilities.
„It is normal when you have commitments to your European and American partners, to keep them.“, he added.
According to him, the issue of the American planes should not be considered in isolation.
„The planes are not the most important thing. "The most important thing is Bulgaria's security," he said.
Kutev also commented on the protests against the deployment of American military aircraft in our country, assuring that there is no danger to the residents of Yambol.
“I am absolutely convinced that there is no danger to the people of Yambol.“, Kutev believes.
According to him, the decision is part of Bulgaria's commitments as a member of NATO, and the cooperation agreements were signed years ago.
“In 2006, Sergey Stanishev, whom I know well, would not have signed an agreement that in any way threatened Bulgaria“, said Anton Kutev.