Constitutional law lecturer Prof. Ekaterina Mihaylova called on constitutional judge Desislava Atanasova to resign if the allegations of Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev about her joint flights with DPS leader Delyan Peevski turn out to be true.
In the program “In Focus with Lora Krumova” she emphasized that the issue is not only legal, but also moral. “The Constitution specifically states for constitutional judges that people with professional and moral qualities are elected as judges“, said Prof. Mihaylova.
According to her, in addition to the Constitution, there are also laws that apply to all Bulgarian citizens, including MPs and constitutional judges. She recalled that the new Anti-Corruption Act stipulates that MPs and members of the Constitutional Court must declare their trips when they are not paid for with personal funds. “Once these declarations are submitted, the commission must conduct an inspection. If violations are found, financial sanctions are imposed“, explained Mihaylova.
According to her, however, the legal consequences are not the only problem. “I started with the words about moral qualities, because when a person does things that are contrary to these principles, in addition to the sanction, he also suffers public disapproval. After such information, it is difficult for her to do her job“, she pointed out.
In her words, if the National Assembly and the competent institutions do their job and establish the truth, they will exert the necessary pressure on the affected persons. “Whether they will remain in their posts is already a question of morality. I would personally call on Desislava Atanasova to resign if these allegations are true“, said Prof. Mihaylova.
She recalled that even when Atanasova was elected, she had expressed doubts as to whether she met the legal requirements for a constitutional judge.
On the topic of the president's reservations about some of the European sanctions against Russia, Prof. Mihaylova stated that Bulgaria's national interest is related to full and active membership in the European Union and NATO. “Bulgaria's interest is not to let an aggressor who seizes territories, destroys a country and approaches our borders continue unhindered. This scenario has already been played out“, she said.
Commenting on the draft state budget, the constitutional law professor noted that it has been subjected to serious criticism by financiers and economists. “The cabinet will be expected to undertake reforms and actions that will lead to the stabilization of the country. The rulers are in a difficult situation, but they can take steps towards improvement“, she believes.
“I see now a lack of desire for reforms – a higher budget deficit is proposed, national interests are put at risk and a curtsy is made to Russia“, she said.
Regarding the upcoming presidential elections, Prof. Mihaylova said that she had already expected clarity about the candidates. “Rumen Radev's battle is for the trust of Bulgarian citizens. He should honestly say how he will deal with the country's problems and what he believes is the true national interest of Bulgaria“, she commented.
At the end of the conversation, Prof. Mihaylova paid tribute to the actor Yosif Sarchadzhiev. “Over the years, we have met and been together with his family. He was a politically active person, and “Yosif's Tears“ were one of the beginnings of democratic changes. Back then, we all wanted to cry“, she said.
According to her, Sarchadzhiev often repeated: “Life is like that – it has everything“. “He was a great actor and a great person“, concluded Prof. Mihaylova.