Kaloyan Metodiev, political scientist, second in the list of “BSP for Bulgaria” at 25 MIR-Sofia in an interview for "Offensive" on NovaNews.
- Why did you want to become an MP, what do you want to change and what will be your first initiative as a representative of the people? You are in second place in the metropolitan 25 MIR, so the probability of being selected is not 100%, but huge.
- There is no 100 percent in life. And to the question of why I entered politics - that's what I studied, that's what I specialized in, that's what I taught, that's what I worked, so in a very natural way came the acceptance of the invitation by Cornelia Ninova to be second in the 25th MIR Sofia .
- The leaf led by her.
- Yes, I am second, after her. I support this policy, which Ninova has been the only one to defend in the last 5-6 years. Only it remained as the last bastion against the “GERB” model. of behind the scenes, of breaking the party system, of sad management results. So everything came naturally. This question, I think, should be asked more of those singers who enter parliament to show middle fingers – I give it as an emblematic example. It came naturally to me – this is my craft, my vocation.
- Your first initiative?
The first initiative will be in line with the party's policy and the policies it promotes - a deputy cannot be an independent electron that moves in the Parliament. Of course, I have the first questions put to me by the voters in the 25th district. And I will give a concrete example: I have been driving a car for 30 years, and in the same section between Gornobanski road and between Suhodol and Lyulin every week I stand in a huge traffic jam. Now, at meetings, people tell me - when will there be a way for us too? Because we are more than 200 thousand people – in Ovcha Kupel, in Gorna Banya, in Krasna Polyana, in Lyulin, in Suhodol, Bankya, which we are exposed to heavy traffic jams every God's day. We are poisoned by harmful gases and lose thousands of economic hours. I will do everything possible to pressure the executive power, the Metropolitan Municipality, everyone on whom it depends – to complete this arc of the Ring Road because of these harmful social, environmental and economic problems.
- Do you expect a working, regular government to be formed after June 9, after the elections? Because now the country is coming out of a 10-month government between PP-DB and GERB-SDS with the cooperation of DPS, who made possible the changes in the Constitution, important laws were introduced and adopted with their votes. Now, however, we see that there is a lot of fierce criticism between GERB-SDS on the one hand and PP-DB on the other?
- We have seen attempts to limit it to tell voters in the campaign that they are two different things. But, it is about the same people, from the same assembly, who have adopted all possible moral principles. However, the documents are merciless. There are the signatures of Boyko Borisov, Asen Vasilev, Kiril Petkov, Peevski, Hristo Ivanov - under the same bills, constitutional changes. An ugly quarrel led to the end of this administration - for the so-called clubs - the prosecutor's office, the NRA, the regulators, who could not separate. There are no principles there. This assembly will be assembled again after the elections on the basis of the common interest and the alush-verisha that they held during these 9 months. Results for the Bulgarian people in terms of the quality of life, of specific management results – there is no. It was a waste of time for the state.
- Sociologists give their predictions – the probability of two formations having a majority is small for now, but even if there are 121 votes between two political formations, it will be so fragile that it will probably be extremely unstable, there must be a third formation. Is there a configuration and under what conditions for BSP to take part in such a management structure?
- In a similar construction that you just outlined - there is none. It should be clear by now that Ninova, and the BSP under her leadership, remained the last party that said “never with Borisov”, made a decision at its highest bodies and maintains this policy, despite the clubs, the media scum that is pouring in, kompromats , pressure, the whole toolkit of a conquered country being poured upon them. But there is no retreat on this matter, and there will not be. The retreat was made by PP-DB, who lied to their voters. The only real government at the moment is supra-party, equally distant from the parties, programmatic, with a specific term and priorities. Which government will begin to gradually bring the country out of the political crisis.
- Say the most important conditions?
- It is necessary to maintain the social systems in the country in the coming year, to be functional so that people can be calm. To remove the tension from the business, because every management of GERB instills a huge fear in everyone, from a neighborhood store to a large factory, because you don't know who will come to knock on your door and say “I want to be your partner&rdquo ; or to like the business. Third, other countries have already spent their billions under the “Recovery and Resilience Plan”. The Greeks forgot when they spent them. This is the money for the COVID crisis sitting in the European Bank. This money should be a national priority and should be brought into the Bulgarian economy – healthcare, education, social system. Of course, let's not forget Schengen, because we are just one step away. There are things that can be done quickly to free up Bulgarian business and tourism, so that money can flow into the country.
- What would be the red lines that the BSP would not cross in order to participate in power?
- This must be decided by the party, of course, because I am a citizen quota. But, from now on I can tell you that any presence of the person Boyko Borisov or his proxies in the management is such a red line. Moreover, the fact that he is claiming a prime ministerial mandate already directly hints that he is ready to rule the country. This is not a red line, this is a red ditch, which we will not accept in any way, because it will be a disaster for the state. Let's not forget that during his administrations, for the first time in the history of Bulgaria, we are behind Romania in socio-economic indicators. This guy got us after Romania! We have never been after Romania. And humiliatingly, today we have to explain that we are behind them, and they say “we do not want to participate in any configurations with the Bulgarians, because they are delaying us”.
The other result of his administrations is that Bulgarians live the shortest time in the EU. Kaloyan Metodiev doesn't say it, Eurostat says it, Bulgarian statistics say it too. Bulgarian men live 69 years on average, which is absurd. In other European countries, they live 10 years longer than us. And these statistics look at health care, air, water, food, stress... the whole quality of life. And this is not a consequence of bad climate or war, but only of bad government. This man wants to rule Bulgaria with some 500 thousand people, but the remaining 5 million of us have been turned into hostages of his politics. There are no results, there can be no results, he was prime minister three times - all three times we are in first place in corruption, last in life expectancy, first in cancer, all negative rankings are in this portfolio. These are the facts. Are we after Romania – we are after Romania. Have we ever been in the last 100 years – we are not. Who ruled Bulgaria for 15 years – he. Every problem has a name and an address.
So this is a red line and I think the voters should realize that the PP-DB and all the others who embraced it are finished in politics. This is a line that should not be crossed, not least because it is not in the interest of the state.
- 2021 BSP entered a coalition government, together with PP, DB and ITN, then you were in power, GERB was in isolation. Now, the country is coming out of a 10-month administration, in which GERB participated with only one minister /b.r. after a challenge from Kaloyan Metodiev/: That's what they say, BSP was in opposition. After June 9, outlining everything you said, to what configuration the situation in the country will be closer – to one in which the BSP will be able to participate in the government or to one in which it can also be the opposition?
- On the condition of an agreed transitional cabinet, which is supra-party, programmatic – can participate in management. A cabinet that can lead the country out of the permanent political crisis and out of the spiral of elections we have entered.
But, in 7 months of management that you mentioned: 22 billion for social policy, business took a breather – they left him alone, GERB were kept out of power, that's why the government was overthrown. First of all, we were in industrial production. And this, in the sectors that BSP ruled. One free kindergartens get – I know how it happened, with what pressure from the BSP on the PP, about pensions – the same. But it was seen that in 7 months another policy can be made. There is another way for Bulgaria. It was seen that even with 23 deputies at the time of the last Assembly, Ninova managed to stop the liberalization of the electricity market for one year, so that people would not suffer and prices would not rise from July 1. I.e. both in opposition and in government we have shown that we can cope with the tasks and fulfill our promises. And isn't that what politics is all about.
- In the last week, a record made a lot of noise, the one that went online, was republished by PP and on their Facebook page. There are other records – in the latter, the name of BSP leader Kornelia Ninova is also mentioned. What's your take on these coming out records?
- If there is a politics textbook that says what not to do in politics – PP-DB have eaten it from cover to cover and performed it in all its possible variations. What are we witnessing? Some recordings from years ago, cut, some people talking, appearing in pieces – this whole thing has a purpose. Obviously, no one should trust these guys and girls who are talking in Makhlenski, it's not clear what they're talking about, taken out of context. Obviously, driven by the idea of bringing both Ninova and BSP into the mud fights – I emphasize, the muddy struggles of the Assembly between them. Because this is exactly what we are witnessing – all be vilified. This is Borisov's technology. I've been watching him for 15 years – “ let us not be alone in the Assembly, with this muddy divorce - let us push the others as well”. Well, he won't make it. From now on I want to tell him: Leave the BSP alone, leave Cornelia Ninova alone. This isn't another project you're going to swallow the way it's swallowed 10-15 parties so far. We will do our best not to allow it.
- Now a little about the competition on the left – “Solidary Bulgaria”, which unites Maya Manolova and Vanya Grigorova, “The Left”...
- /Laughs/ I know what you're going to ask me...
- What am I going to ask you?
- Probably about Tik-Toka, about the thefts ...
- Where do you keep the passwords for Instagram and TikTok?
- I guess they keep them in their press center, but is that what you were going to ask me?
- No, but that's a fun answer. Now - why should people choose the BSP and not Vanya Grigorova, Maya Manolova or the “Left”? Isn't it getting too crowded on this left spectrum?
- No, on the contrary. These are the next parodies between the tandem Maya Manolova-Vanya Grigorova and Mikhail Mikov – for him to say that they stole his password from his computer, for 3 days to chase them to give them back… Such a parody, such circus performers, it is not serious to comment on them at all. They have to answer other questions – where do they get so much money for billboards? I am a candidate after the leader of a party that is represented in parliament – i have zero billboards. They have billboards for millions in Sofia and the country – so there someone pours huge money, behind them. And here, to end the joking part, because it's really not worth bothering with their internal dramas, they have negligible credibility: I urge people not to waste their votes on such small parties – they are only for subsidy. And for addictions. Because, after that, those who poured the millions into them will want to pay them back through controlled politics and dishonest votes. Nor a vote for these parties, because the alternative was seen at the moment.
Support for BSP with number 24 on the ballot – only we did not sell ourselves and are the only alternative against the restoration of the “GERB” model.