The presidential elections will determine where Bulgaria is looking — towards Europe or the East. This was stated to the Bulgarian National Radio by the co-chairman of “Democratic Bulgaria“ Ivaylo Mirchev. In the program “Sunday 150“ he accused the government of Rumen Radev of condescending to Russia and criticized the lack of consistent action against corruption.
On the occasion of Unification Day, Mirchev emphasized that the national interest requires independent decisions and courage to uphold them.
“Unification is the moment when Bulgaria does not wait for permission. On September 6, 1885, the Bulgarians made their own decision about their country and took the risk to protect the national interest,“ he said.
Mirchev recalled the withdrawal of Russian officers from the Bulgarian army after the Unification and the subsequent defense of the unification in the Serbo-Bulgarian War. According to him, the current government seeks Moscow's approval instead of defending Bulgaria's place in a strong Europe. He also criticized the president, who, in his words, is not a corrective to the executive branch.
On the topic of the presidential elections, Mirchev called on the parties to remain on the sidelines, because the direction of the country is at stake. He expressed confidence that during the discussions in the party bodies, the DB will support the candidacy of Andrey Gyurov.
In his assessment of the first 100 days of the cabinet, Mirchev highlighted actions that, in his opinion, look like the beginning of a fight against the oligarchy. Among them, he pointed out the removal of the security of Boyko Borisov and Delyan Peevski and the case in “Dragalevtsi“, which he linked to Taki and Ami, although he described it as unconvincing.
According to him, however, there is a lack of consistency in income policies, controlling inflation and destroying the corruption model.
Mirchev claims that the influence of Borisov and Peevski has been replaced by that of the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff Nikolay Koprinkov and Krasyo Cherniya. He stated that there are indications of Koprinkov's interference in the appointment of deputy ministers and in processes related to public procurement and public funds. According to him, the formation will refer the cases for which it has sufficient information to the competent authorities.
Mirchev also commented on the budget deficit. According to his data, it is currently 2.2%, while a month ago it was set at 5.7%, with the European Commission forecasting 4.1%.
“Obviously, someone plans to spend until the end of the year“, he said.
As an important upcoming step, Mirchev identified the election of members of the Supreme Judicial Council who would not serve political interests. According to him, candidates should be checked for addictions, yielding to pressure, undeclared assets and membership in secret organizations.
“You cannot become a member of the Supreme Judicial Council if in the last 15 years you have not taken a single public position regarding everything that has happened in the prosecution service and the judicial system“, he pointed out.
Mirchev also stated that lobby groups are trying to influence the candidates for the professional quota in the Supreme Judicial Council, naming Georgi Cholakov and Sotir Tsatsarov.