The MP from “Progressive Bulgaria“ and Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Culture and Media Anton Kutev announced the political formation's support for a possible presidential candidacy of the current Vice President Iliana Yotova. In an interview with “24 Chasa“ this Wednesday, the former spokesman for the official offices outlined the vision of the ruling party for the upcoming vote, the upcoming salary cuts in state boards and plans for judicial reform.
According to Anton Kutev, the current political moment is appropriate for the country to elect a woman as head of state. He defined Iliana Yotova as an accomplished politician with a clear vision for Bulgarian and European politics.
“Now is the moment when the Bulgarian can elect a woman and this is a very serious step for everyone in Bulgaria. "Iliyana Yotova is one of our most prepared politicians," the MP told the publication.
According to him, Yotova's candidacy has the potential to unite the left, but for ultimate success, broader support will be needed. Regarding the profile of the future vice president, Kutev believes that the decisive word should be with President Rumen Radev, whose authority has brought "Progressive Bulgaria" 131 parliamentary seats. According to him, the ideal candidate for vice president should complement Yotova's influence, and could be attracted from scientific circles or business.
One of the main priorities of the majority is limiting remuneration in state-owned companies. Kutev reveals that changes are being prepared that will drastically reduce income on boards.
“The queue is because they receive a salary of 14,000 euros. When they reach 6,000, which will happen in the vast majority of them, the queue will no longer be like that“, he explained. The principle that will be followed is that the members of these structures should not receive more than the Prime Minister, but at the same time their salaries should remain competitive with the private sector in order to avoid staff outflow.
The MP did not hide his expectations of public discontent in the upcoming winter due to the increase in the cost of living and high bills. He specified that the budget adopted in July was a compromise option, and the real economic measures of the new government will be included in the next financial framework. The goal is to further limit the deficit, which is currently 5.7%, in order to stop the growth of the state debt.
By the end of the year, the government's focus will fall on judicial reform, including changes to the figure of the Prosecutor General, the Supreme Judicial Council and the Inspectorate. According to Kutev, prevention is the main function of the justice system and the state must regain control, taking away the influence of figures who currently exert influence through financial means and compromising materials.
In his capacity as chairman of the media commission, Kutev also launched an idea to create a new media fund. The goal is to guarantee sustainable financing of public media through a fixed percentage of the gross domestic product (GDP). The fund would also allow private media to apply on a project basis for financing programs with a public function - for example, children's, cultural or non-commercial formats, which are otherwise not economically profitable.
In response to criticism of the lack of a communication strategy and the frequent blunders of representatives of the formation, Kutev responded that “Progressive Bulgaria“ is being subjected to fierce resistance because of its attempts to dismantle the model of the previous government. He gave as an example the suspension of a public procurement for guardrails worth over 1 billion, as well as the revelations of millions in the regional ministry.