The GERB Executive Committee has decided to have a budget committee this Thursday, in order to take all the steps and adopt the so-called extension law. This was commented on by the deputy chairman of the party, Tomislav Donchev, to the Bulgarian National Radio.
"A government that does not have a majority, as a caretaker government, should seek one and take steps - to have a law submitted by it adopted, which includes the presence of the minister in the budget committee, deputy minister, hearing, answering questions, because there are questions related to this law. But our principled statesmanlike position is that this is not the time for political games. This parliament is leaving and we should not leave the country even without an extension budget", he commented and expressed hope that the budget in question will enter the hall during the plenary session on Friday. Donchev admits that it is possible that it will be voted on Friday, if this is allowed by the parliamentary procedure. But:
"It depends on the behavior of the other political forces. We are responsible for our parliamentary group. These votes are not enough to pass the extension law, we also need support from other political forces".
In the program "Nedelya 150" Tomislav Donchev also commented on the issue of fuels in view of the situation in the Middle East. He reminded that increasing oil prices does not only mean higher prices for gasoline and diesel, but also higher prices for all products and higher inflation. This conversation must be held together with the Minister of Finance, he was categorical.
"The big risk is not so much a direct military threat to Bulgaria as price fluctuations (volatility - ed.), which cannot have a positive impact on the Bulgarian economy".
According to him, the economic impact of this war may be deeper and more negative than the war in Ukraine.
According to him, in such a crisis situation it is best for both societies and political forces to be united and to have a clear direction.
"In times of upheavals, challenges and crises in recent years, Bulgaria has been unprecedentedly divided both as a society and as political forces", emphasized the Deputy Chairman of GERB.
Over the past 5 years, in the name of "mission 121", all sorts of nonsense have been done - impossible political combinations, he recalled. In this sense, Donchev believes that no one can give an honest answer to the question of possible coalitions after the early elections. However, GERB would participate in the majority, as long as it should generate some meaning and have political logic in it:
"Interaction, including in a coalition format, must be between formations that have common views - they may not be absolutely identical, but common, in order to make something that can be assembled, which will give results, because the point of a government is not to have a government and be happy about it, but for it to do a certain job".
According to him, the Bulgarian parliament has resembled a "mutual aid group, where everyone was married to someone, with minor exceptions". When it comes to what the possible combinations are, everyone looks at each other in confusion, he said.
Despite all its shortcomings, the government of Rosen Zhelyazkov has done a certain job, emphasized the deputy chairman of GERB and listed the successes.
Donchev reminded of the highlights in the program of GERB. In his words, a poor country cannot be a welfare state:
"Only a country that has high economic growth, a country that has a strong economy, can have a larger budget and afford policies in one area or another. This does not mean that we ignore everything else and all other areas, including judicial reform. But for me, a generous country, a welfare state can only be a rich country. In this sense, the first point is economic growth - last year it was 3%, which is a good result, but I would like it to be 4 - 4.5 - 5%".
Regarding payments under the PVU, he emphasized that there are 8 laws related to the fourth and fifth payments. We will make all necessary efforts to have these laws adopted, declared the Deputy Chairman of GERB and noted with regret that there is no majority on some of the texts, giving an example of the Lobbying Law.
"We have literally several sessions of the National Assembly. Maximum mobilization is needed here to use these several sessions, to pass all these laws. If the Council of Ministers introduces a Law on Lobbying, this will happen during the elections and it will not be possible to pass it".
About the work of the caretaker cabinet at the moment, Tomislav Donchev expressed his opinion: "I have not seen anything other than the control of all state services. I do not find it right to be done by a caretaker government".
According to him, this will have no bearing on the election result.