Former co-chairman of "We Continue the Change (PP)" and former prime minister Kiril Petkov issued a number of warnings, mainly regarding the budget, to the government of Rumen Radev in an extensive post on "Facebook", quoted by news.bg. He points out that his hope is to help make the right decisions, which is still quite possible.
"Although I do not at all approve of the turn in the foreign policy rhetoric of this government, I am writing these lines with the intention of helping to prevent our money from falling into the hands of the same sly people who always try to rob Bulgarian citizens behind the scenes", explains Petkov.
According to him, what is currently happening to a new government is what always happens when you don't know where you are yet. "All sorts of sly people are trying to get ahold of the state's money without you even realizing it", the former prime minister commented, adding that Radev has experience as president, but not as prime minister. Petkov points out that now is the time for the new prime minister to take the right steps, instead of sliding down the slide of populism and political rhetoric, thus unknowingly feeding the very oligarchy he claims to be fighting against.
"As the new prime minister in 2021, even though our group only had 67 MPs, I had the advantage of having Assen Vassilev as finance minister and that is why I avoided what is happening to Radev now in his first budget", Kiril Petkov also writes.
He emphasizes that currently, cunning people in all ministries, sensing that the ministers do not yet know where they are, have submitted all kinds of requests for the maintenance of the ministries. "These are these small public procurements: from small repairs to printers, computers, cars and all sorts of other things, through which key administrators in the ministries will have extra money to spend. Many of them are small scams, but many in number", specifies Petkov.
The politician adds that with these amounts collected by all departments, the maintenance of the state apparatus jumps by over a billion, after up until a moment, due to the extended budget, more money could be spent than for the same period last year. "Now they are hoping for a "second golden half-year" during this budget," states the former co-chair of the PP.
He points out that now all sorts of lobbyists and sly people are hoping to quickly fit into the new budget and for the so-called state investments. "Dream projects, dream thefts, well described in folders, have gone to the ministers and have inflated the investment account to madness. Their greed is greater than their ability to even steal it. With all the schemes in the world, they will not be able to spend this money, but their hopes have inflated the plan-account and make Radev look terrible, although at the end of the year they will not have managed to spend this money for the simple reason that they will not have enough time", adds Petkov.
According to him, some of the "businessmen-lobbyists" in question helped the government get elected and are now trying, with a good word and kind eyes, to get back in six months double the entire pre-election investment on the back of the new government and all Bulgarians. "That is why we from "Continuing the Change" "We have never accepted support from people with companies whose only client is the state in the election campaign," the former co-chair of the party claims.
He also commented on the increased budget of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), which Finance Minister Galab Donev explained with a technical error that has already been corrected. "Special lobbyists for special departments, such as the SJC, have come to the Council of Ministers to explain how important it is now to increase their budget for who knows what strategic reasons", Petkov explains.
According to him, when someone starts using the word "strategic", it usually means that something is too expensive and due to the lack of real arguments, this term is used. "This is how it turns out that the increase in the prices of vignettes for every Bulgarian driver in the new budget will go directly to the "strategic" pen of the Supreme Judicial Council, for example, even though they already have some of the highest salaries in the country," writes Kiril Petkov and adds that every Bulgarian, by buying a vignette, will be paying a lot of money to the government for these "strategic reasons".
"Based on these three reasons, the deficit exploded to 5.7% and everyone explained to the prime minister how the opposition was to blame and aggressive and that he should defend the above spending increases because that was best for the government. They whispered to him who was to blame and how this was the best thing now. The old GERB and MRF gatekeepers in the administration, and especially their patrons, are licking their lips behind the scenes as to whether this budget will pass and feed them better than even their government under Zhelyazkov. Like hyenas, they sniff out the new recruits from the PB and explain to them with kind eyes how Asen Vassilev is guilty, while secretly rubbing their hands and hoping that the schemes they have loaded into this budget will pass", Petkov also points out, defending the current sole leader of the PP and former Finance Minister Vassilev.
He also suggests that the offers of bribes to the new or "new-old" have already begun. "And there, if a person raises a finger, the still unchanged services and the prosecutor's office know how to secretly get him into the "rabbit hole". There is no such thing as a little corrupt in this game: either you get involved in a scheme and get caught, or you really have zero tolerance for corruption," says Kiril Petkov.
He also points out that Boyko Borisov and Delyan Peevski know exactly what is happening right now and that is why they are silent "like lambs", while their cadres in the fields hope for the "big harvest" at someone else's expense. According to the former prime minister, the current situation is a political-corruption paradise for the oligarchs, for whom there is nothing better than to grab as much as possible from the new budget and attribute it to Radev. "So far I even sympathize with the new government, but from here on comes the responsibility of leadership, which falls entirely into their hands", Petkov softens.
In his words, the primary political strategy is to start attacking the opposition, especially "We continue the change", which revealed the obvious problems.
"To hope to politically impose that you are right, with bluster, clever phrases, good PR and to bet that you have political capital, which, when used, will impose your theses. While you do this, all the unions and business associations also start to jump on you, and only the hidden corruptors, working precisely for the oligarchy, tell you every day: "Don't worry, we are with you". Thus, political capital begins to flow out, while the state's money goes right into the pockets of this oligarchy," the former co-chair of the PP states, adding that people on the ground, however, see that the same thieves are filling their pockets, and the government is starting to lose support by 5% per month.
According to him, the better strategy for Bulgaria, for the government and for Radev himself is for him to swallow his political ego, use the opposition, and more specifically Assen Vassilev, in the budget committee in parliament and hear what needs to be done. "He can really help them. And although Galab Donev will have to swallow that the budget will have to be revised, this will put them in a better position in the long term," Petkov claims and adds that Vassilev's advice is not empty, but requires real work.
"It doesn't happen with general talk, but with a real review line by line and shooting down every illogical expense", summarizes Kiril Petkov and adds that this way not only will the deficit suddenly fall, but there will be money left, including for social spending, and the excessive deficit will be avoided.
"I understand that today there may be some political price for the PB and it can be said that Asen Vassilev understands more than the PB experts. Big deal. After all, people in places will see a change, there will be more money for ordinary people, for social spending. In the end, that's what interests them, not who gave the idea", he points out. Petkov adds that at the same time, the PP will be proud that from the position of opposition they have managed to stop small and large thefts set by the gates of GERB and MRF.
"Some of them have already put on their hats of "Progressive Bulgaria" and swear allegiance to Radev. Others Radev himself allowed in order to get their support in the elections. But today he still has the choice to do the right thing and wean them off the feeder", says the former co-chair of the PP.
He also warns that the greater price of cutting thefts will come from the attack of the corrupt themselves. "These cunning people who are now licking themselves in the hope of taking a few billion euros and writing them off on Radev's back. If they see that their billions are slipping away, they will start financing large-scale articles against the government. In our country, they financed up to 1,000 articles a month with all sorts of nonsense on all sorts of sites, just to reduce the chance that we will cut their money," the former prime minister noted. "If Radev manages to cut a few billion in the coming weeks, he will quickly start "eating pizza with crystals" in PIK and BLITZ", he added.
Petkov pointed out that this will also show whether Radev did the right thing or left the feeders. "They don't spit on you with all sorts of nonsense in the yellow media, you didn't do the right thing. So the above recommendation has a real political price, but in the long term it is the only right way to preserve yourself", he also commented.
Kiril Petkov emphasizes that this is where the political leadership of the prime minister comes in, who must say: "I will do what is right for the state, I will bear the cost of the attack and I will swallow my ego because of the initial mistake."
He himself never hesitated to do the right thing in such moments, even when the PP governed with only 67 deputies. "If we had 130, the government would simply have remained, instead of falling under the pressure of the corrupt and their political representatives", Petkov stated. But he did not regret for a moment that he always cut the thefts without hesitation. "Asen Vassilev, even as the leader of an opposition party today, is very valuable to the ruling party, because he can show them the way to fix this budget, if they have a statesmanlike mindset, and do not shrink into a narrow political shell because of the strong and deserved criticism they receive from the PP", he commented.
"No matter how much the corrupt people wish that Asen were gone, he is truly today perhaps the best financier in the country and is truly free from addictions. After four budgets, this makes him the most dangerous weapon against thieves. His recommendations will not come somewhere hidden. They will come with sharp criticism, in front of everyone in parliament. But Bulgaria will avoid the excessive deficit, and the government will have more money for the social needs of the people, and not for the tentacles of the oligarchy, which today are making them look good," writes Kiril Petkov.
He specifies that the message is not about a hand extended to the government, but about an expression of the PP's responsibility to Bulgarian citizens and their money. .
"It is time for real action, not for political theater. Radev and his government are on the move. The "We Continue the Change" team will spare neither criticism nor advice on how to make this budget better for our country. The only way to fight the oligarchy is to stop its feeders. There are many such feeders in this version of the budget," Petkov points out and adds that it is not time for words, but for deeds and for serious budget adjustments.