President Iliana Yotova is the most suitable candidate for head of state, and her announced intention to join the presidential race is good news for Bulgarian democracy.
This was stated in the studio of “Offensive with Lyubo Ognyanov“ MP from “Progressive Bulgaria“ Dimitar Zdravkov.
According to him, the final decision on support will be made by the collective bodies of the party, but he did not hide his personal opinion. “Bulgaria hardly deserves a more worthy president than Mrs. Yotova. Yesterday was a good day for Bulgarian democracy. This news made me sincerely happy“, he said Zdravkov.
He defined Yotova as a politician of a scale that is rarely seen in Bulgarian politics. “She has established herself over the years as one of our best politicians. Together with President Radev, they have maintained relations in the presidential institution such as we have never seen before. They have always been guided by the national interest“, said the MP.
Zdravkov also commented on the criticism that a possible mandate for Yotova would be “a third mandate for Rumen Radev“, responding with an ironic remark to the former Minister of Justice Nadezhda Yordanova. “I am tempted to say that her presence in the Ministry of Justice was an unsuccessful continuation of Hristo Ivanov“s mandate“, he said.
A main topic of the conversation was the government's decision to allow the temporary deployment of American tanker aircraft at the “Bezmer“ airbase. According to Zdravkov, the fears among the public are not caused by the decision itself, but by the political implications surrounding it. “Bulgarian citizens should be calm. The concern comes from the hypocrisy and talk of the tinkerers who instill artificial tension and fear in society“, he said.
The MP emphasized that “Progressive Bulgaria“ consistently defends peace and diplomatic solutions to international conflicts. “Both President Radev and Prime Minister Radev have always affirmed peace as the main goal. It must be achieved through diplomacy, not through the force of war“, Zdravkov said.
According to him, the decision to accept the American planes is related to Bulgaria's commitments as a NATO member and a partner of the United States. “We are fulfilling our commitments as a loyal partner of the United States and a reliable member of NATO“, said the people's representative.
He added that all such actions must go through a clear procedure and transparency. “When there is an issue related to our agreements with the US, we must show that we are a reliable partner. Decisions must be made transparently and according to the established procedure“, Zdravkov pointed out.
The MP categorically rejected the claims that our country is getting involved in a war. “The position of both the government and the parliamentary majority is categorical - Bulgaria is not an enemy state for Iran. On the contrary, we have traditionally good relations with Iran and we are against military conflict“, he said.
According to him, there is no immediate risk to the country's security. “I do not believe that Bulgaria is threatened by war. I trust the assessments of the Minister of Defense and military experts“, Zdravkov said.
Asked whether Bulgaria should seek economic benefits from the support Regarding the United States, the MP stated that the national interest should be the leading one. “Foreign policy is not a bargaining chip and is not a trade instrument. But it provides opportunities for Bulgaria, as a loyal partner of the United States, to develop not only its defense, but also its economic cooperation and investments“, he said.
According to him, efforts to abolish American visas for Bulgarian citizens are also continuing. “I do not believe that this decision is a bargaining chip for visas, but I am convinced that the government's efforts in this direction are continuing at full strength“, Zdravkov emphasized.
The MP defended the visit of Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev to the United States and his work on investigations related to the sanctions under the “Magnitsky“ Act.
“Every action of Minister Demerdzhiev is a confirmation of our election goal - the model must be dismantled“, Zdravkov said.
He emphasized that the minister participated in an international forum at the invitation of the US administration and held meetings with representatives of the Ministry of Justice and other institutions.
Regarding the data on Demerdzhiev's property released by the DPS, Zdravkov pointed out that the NRA's inspection did not reveal any violations.
“The National Revenue Agency's inspection concluded that Ivan Demerdzhiev's legal income significantly exceeded his expenses. What more needs to be said on this issue?“, he asked.
Dimitar Zdravkov took stock of the first nearly three months of work of the cabinet and the parliamentary majority.
“If I had to use the metaphor of school - I would give myself an A for behavior. In terms of fulfilling the tasks, we took over at the end of the second term, but for the time we have, I think the parliament and the government are doing very well“, he said.
As chairman of the parliamentary committee on education, Zdravkov said that the introduction of the new school subject “Virtues and Religions“ remains one of his main priorities.
„Education is the only topic on which politics should give way to the national interest, because it is about our children“, he said.
According to him, the subject cannot be introduced this fall, as curricula, teacher training and textbooks are yet to be developed.
„Our ambition is for the subject to be introduced from the 2027/2028 school year. If we do not succeed completely, we will start with a pilot introduction. This is my personal mission and we will see it through“, said the chairman of the education committee.