Why didn't the rulers, all these heroes, come to the protest? Because they are afraid. They sit inside, hide like mice in their offices and give decisions. This was shared in front of FACT by Cornelia Ninova, leader of “Unruly Bulgaria“, but what else…
- Ms. Ninova, we saw a “single budget“ once, and now we will clearly see a “single budget“ a second time. Why did we hear that the budget is the only one?
- They lied that the budget was the only one possible. It turned out that it wasn't. They lie blatantly because they have no other arguments to justify it. This budget buries us in deadly debts and breaks the backbone of the economy - small and medium-sized businesses. It reduces the salaries of workers by raising their social security contributions. This is a budget of theft - nowhere in the world can 8 km of road cost 2 billion leva. And to top it all off, it increases the privileges of a political-administrative caste. Well, it can't be the only one with these parameters. It is an unacceptable and impossible budget and must be rejected. There is an alternative. There is no problem in reducing the bureaucratic and administrative burden. To eliminate by half the regulations, methodologies, decrees that suffocate businesses and citizens. To digitize services. With the help of artificial intelligence, service can become cheap and in minutes. To cut privileges, cars, security guards, salaries of politicians. Reinvestments in production should be exempt from taxes. Banks' excess profits should be taxed and concession fees should be increased, etc. It takes minimal mental effort to understand that the economy stands on 4 legs:
-- industrial production has been declining for the third year
-- our investments and exports too
-- only consumption supports the economy
-- if incomes do not rise with this price increase, consumption will fall
And if this fourth leg also folds, the situation becomes soooooooo bad. But all this requires will and intelligence, which the rulers clearly do not have.
- Only when people's pockets are reached into does civil society wake up?
- This could be one reason. The people's anger will pour out through social uprisings. It can't be tolerated anymore.
All prices have skyrocketed and eaten up incomes. Speculation is rampant.
None of the measures promised by the government have been implemented. Neither have price increases been curbed, nor are there shops for the people. Only the number and salaries of the control bodies have increased. Stealing is rampant!
But there is a second reason for the accumulated anger - there is no justice.
In our society there is a hunger for justice and disgust with the arrogant, unforgiving and brazen behavior of the authorities. The rulers have forgotten themselves, protests until the government falls.
It is time for the people to apply Newton's Third Law, which states that for every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction.
I call on all those who want justice, security, order and rules to join the protests. They are not partisan. I have already been there and seen it. They are national and must continue until the fall of this harmful government.
- We saw a big protest in Sofia, and Borisov “pulled“ the budget. Were people being tested again?
- You too - as a journalist - have probably wondered what exactly Borisov did, so you use the word “pulled”. Did he freeze, withdraw, stop the budget? It is not known what exactly this man did. He said one thing, did the second, and the third happened. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the budgets of the National Health Insurance Fund and the Social Insurance Institution were adopted on second reading in a committee. The large budget reflects the two small ones. They are talking about some additional report.
This is a legislative bacchanalia and intellectual poverty.
If he wanted to play tests again and "here there is, here there is not" - he is wrong. These tricks are time-consuming. That time has expired. Both the country and the people need smart and non-thieving leaders at the helm to guide us through the crisis and provide a horizon for development.
- What did you see in the budget? What, in your opinion, irritated people the most?
- I would summarize it in four words: theft, insecurity, privileges, injustice. The budget itself includes the possibility of corruption and thus it becomes unpunished because it is legal: 50 million leva for one kilometer of highway and 2 billion leva for 8 kilometers of ring road... What do they look like to you? There is no perspective for development in the budget. There is no predictability and security to plan your life and business. Everything is piecemeal and written on the fly. It's one thing in the morning, another at noon. Thirdly: the privileges of the privileged are growing in this budget at the expense of those who produce the gross domestic product. They are reducing the salaries of those working with the new insurance, but they are betting on an automatic increase in the salaries of MPs and 400 more people every three months. And finally - injustice is swirling everywhere. Criminals are walking around freely. The shadow economy is not touched, and the honest entrepreneur is subjected to daily extortion. Smart and educated people are thrown out, giving way to illiterate but obedient ladybugs, etc.
- We are moving towards budgets that are based on deficits. Have we started to like living on credit?
- Those who use these loans probably like it, but those who will pay them for three generations after us - we don't like it. The government takes loans for two reasons.
The first is that they are illiterate and incapable of ensuring economic growth that would pour money into the budget.
And the second - with this money they feed their own circle of companies and secure votes and an electorate that is not interested in ideology and principles in politics. For the majority of Bulgarians, however, drowning in loans is unacceptable and disastrous.
- Bulgaria is entering the eurozone with the smallest external debt. Does this make the government “calm” when they are betting on taking on new debt?
- They don't care. They want to take on whatever they can now and immediately. Many smart people have warned that we are entering a debt spiral.
The government is betting on new debts not only for next year.
The following numbers are set in the three-year forecast framework: in 2026 the debt will be 37 billion euros, in 2027 - 43 billion, in 2028 - 49 billion. That is, it will grow every following year. It is no coincidence that the EC showed them a yellow card. For thinking people, it is clear what awaits us. If they put us in a deficit, then there will be cuts in salaries, pensions, and social benefits. If those in power are calm about these facts, then they are crazy.
- We hear from Delyan Peevski that he works for the people, and the budget includes an increase in social security contributions. Is this caring for the people?
- This budget is anti-people and for a small upper caste of privileged people.
- Many employer organizations have given options on how to reduce expenses in order to have money, but without raising social security contributions. Will there be a hearing before the second reading?
- There are alternative budget options. Over the years, I have made a completely alternative budget to those of GERB. And now I see other options. They may concede something, but this will not change things radically. The philosophy of the budget is wrong. It is an expression of the fear of the majority in the National Assembly. Fear of changes to entire models. Money will continue to be poured into broken systems. This budget is regressive. We need a bold, modern, progressive, perspective budget that relies on a new model in healthcare, where health is not a commercial commodity. A new model of education, where money does not follow the number of students, but follows quality and upbringing. Stimulation through the budget of high technologies, artificial intelligence and a modern economy. Restructuring of agriculture with an emphasis on Bulgarian production, etc.
- GERB–SDF and “DPS – New Beginning“ talk a lot about the budget. Where are BSP and ITN…
- In passing. Service staff. They do not deserve attention, except as a bad example in history textbooks and a measuring unit for immorality.
- Suddenly the unions agreed with the budget. What is their role…
- I couldn't understand them either. They agreed to raise insurance premiums, that is, to harm the workers they supposedly protect. Then they protested against the budget. The employers, in turn, protected the workers, protecting themselves. Raising insurance premiums hits both sides. Chaos.
But one thing is clear - for the first time we have a budget that has not been approved by the tripartite council.
For the first time we have a budget for which all the television stations were looking for a spokesperson to defend it and they couldn't find one. For the first time we have a budget that no one likes.
- The price of water is increasing in many areas by 13% from January 1. Is this a “European gift“ for Happy New Year…
- If this happens, heads should be rolling. If the government hasn't fallen by then, at least - that of Ivanov, the Minister of Regional Development. The Water Supply and Sewerage Holding is under his portfolio. The state-owned Water Supply and Sewerage companies too, and they have requested this increase. And let's not just throw stones at the KEVR. Look for the culprit and the problem in the ministry, in their negligence, theft and illiteracy. It is absolute cynicism, given the state of the water sector, to raise the price for people. Half of Bulgaria is under water, the other half is washed from basins. Water flows in the streets, the fountains - dry. Where they flow, mud pours. That fictional, irresponsible water manager Zafirov has become a world traveler. He even goes to Tajikistan to melt glaciers. Disgusting. There is an alternative. The Water Supply and Sewerage companies should withdraw their plans for a price increase from the KEVR. I have been talking about water for half a year. This is one of the topics of the future. Not only as an element of climate change. We are threatened by the loss of a basic human right - access to drinking water. Without irrigation there is no agriculture. Without water there is no food. As the fifth technological revolution (artificial intelligence) progresses, there will be an increasing need for water to cool servers. Large data centers use water-cooled chillers. CRAC devices use chilled water. We have two entities that will compete for a valuable natural resource - man and machine. The topic is becoming key to the future of humanity and one of the most important to solve now and immediately.