Atanas Atanasov: Not a single GERB figure was on the ground in Pazardzhik

Against the backdrop of the reshuffles in the ruling majority and the canceled cabinet meeting, DSB chairman Atanas Atanasov said that “a plan has been in the works for some time to carefully incorporate the “New Beginning“ into power“, and according to him, the result in Pazardzhik was used as an occasion, not as a reason for the escalation.

Atanasov rejected Boyko Borisov's thesis that he “waited” for the PP–DB to support cabinet topics:

“When you are a mandate holder and you want a majority – support is sought. Nobody has sought us. These are empty words for the audience.“

According to him, not a single GERB figure was on the ground in Pazardzhik:

„They knew what would happen and did not want to participate. This is a plan that may have started before the assembly. So that this scene could then be played out and Borisov could scold his deputies.“

According to him, the ruling majority does not want to have new early parliamentary elections before the presidential ones.

Atanasov believes that a very important, geopolitical election for president is coming.

PP–DB is preparing a general profile of a presidential candidate, with a real start of the campaign expected in the spring, he added,

„I think the candidate should be a broad-spectrum character. The most important thing is to look firmly at the West. There is a risk that the next president will look east, as the current one does – Radev“, Atanasov said.

The DSB leader emphasized that Asen Vassilev's budgets “brought Bulgaria to a more advanced position“, and the latter was mainly supported by GERB.

“We will insist on realistic revenues and unabated expenditures. Budget management is key – the question is who the money goes to“, he said.

Regarding the requested resignation of the Speaker of the National Assembly Natalia Kiselova, Atanasov said that the resignation was correct.

„I did not support her in her election because I think she does not have the qualities for the position, said Atanasov and hinted that he might know who the next head of the National Assembly would be.

He also commented on a proposal made to him by Borisov to be the chairman of the National Security Agency.

„Borisov proposed me as the head of the National Security Agency during the assembly. I thought about it for a week or two, and then came back and asked him if he would become the Secretary General of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. That is, with this offer he wanted to take me back 25 years“, said Atanasov.

“I may have been tempted as a person who has always observed the services and had an interest in them. But for me this is unacceptable, I am heavily politicized as the chairman of a party, and at one point to head a service whose statute explicitly states that the head must be party neutral, is not good“, he added.