In recent days we have been hearing calls like - let's go back to the good old days of GERB. I say - let's see what the good times were at GERB. This was stated by the co-chairman of "We continue the change" Asen Vassilev during the General Assembly of the party, quoted by novini.bg.
"Only for the last three years we have a 10% growth in GDP. Under the management of GERB, there is also a growth of 10% of GDP, but in 12 years. In three years, we managed to raise the average salary by BGN 700. Let's see the pensioners' income. For 12 years of management of GERB, pensions grew by BGN 10 per year. For the last 3 years, pensions have increased by over 400 BGN. Now, from July 1, there will be a further increase in pensions. These are not handouts. This is an opportunity for our parents not to choose between bread and medicine. The situation is the same for the poorest. In three years, minimum pensions will grow by more than in 12 years of GERB management. I will say again that this is not a leftist policy or a handout policy. This is politics for the people. GERB's policy was Latin American - very few people become super rich and the rest are poor and emigrate. We managed to increase people's income at a time of covid crisis, war in Ukraine, we did not increase taxes. This is the way for Bulgaria to become a normal European country. If you want Bulgaria to become a Latin American country, vote for GERB and give them the power", declared Vassilev.
"We provided free textbooks and transportation for the students. We want education to be accessible to all. The next task is more difficult - to make education better. We also raised teachers' salaries. We raised salaries in health care. We have provided free medicines for cardiovascular diseases. This costs BGN 45 million or less than 0.5% of the increase in the budget of the Health Fund. This is not socialism. This is an opportunity for 600,000 Bulgarians to take their medicine. This was not done before. Why? Because the health care system is built in such a way that everyone wants money for hospitals, and no one wants money for disease prevention. We met tremendous resistance. For two years we have been fighting to introduce a minimum wage for doctors and nurses in hospitals. Do you know who is attacking this measure? The heads of state and municipal hospitals. They receive salaries from BGN 50,000 to BGN 100,000 per month. Instead of this money being distributed evenly, it goes to the bosses. We managed to overcome that too. Hospitals don't think about people's health, but how to get more money down the aisles. Doctors are fleeing Bulgaria and for this reason - they are disgusted by these policies. If GERD wants European healthcare, let's sit down and do it", urged Asen Vassilev.
"The third bridge over the Danube has already been agreed upon. This is the second bridge near Ruse. The fourth bridge near Silistra is also in the process of being finalized. We are starting to connect Northwestern Bulgaria with the rest of the country and Europe. Construction of the last section of the "Struma" highway begins. So much for "you didn't put a spoonful of asphalt", and what is more important is that our asphalt is of good quality. Municipalities now have an equal chance to improve the quality of life of their citizens. The Bulgarian army has a record budget for rearmament. We have a completed interconnector with Greece after 10 years of waiting for GERB to do it. We have expanded gas storage in Chiren again after 10 years of waiting for GERB to do it. We have an agreement with Romania on the Danube HPP. We expect to receive approval from the EC within a month. We have a 30% increase in investment, which is a record. All this with a deficit below 3% and in crisis conditions. It's not magic, we just let businesses run and level the playing field. The question is which model we want to develop - the Latin American one of GERB or the European one, where incomes grow and we have modern health care, education. You see how fierce GERD's attacks are on the European model. If you want the Latino model and lean pizza, vote for GERB and win the election. We have caught up as much in the last three years as we have in the last 10 years. Eurostat data shows that for the first time since we have been members of the EU, we are not the last in the EU in terms of purchasing power, behind us is Hungary. These data are for the year 2023 and are fresh, fresh - from last week", Asen Vassilev revealed.
"There were many wrong things in the country's development model that could be fixed easily and centrally. To move further, we must have a fair match that is not fixed. This applies to every public contract, every competition, the judicial system. We want the match to be fair, not fixed. GERB and DPS want things to be agreed, for the match to be decided before it starts. This is the reason we are going to elections. People started to return to Bulgaria. To keep them coming back, we need to have fair rules. Only in this way will we have quality education, health care and infrastructure. In these elections, this will be our fight - for fair rules", concluded the PP co-chairman.