Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev announced his support for Andrey Gyurov and Georgi Kandev in the upcoming presidential elections on October 25.
As the main reasons for his decision, he pointed to the clear European choice for the future of Bulgaria and the experience of the municipality's work with Gyurov as Prime Minister.
„These presidential elections are much bigger than the choice between two candidates. They are a choice for a governance model“, Terziev states.
According to him, Bulgaria has already made its civilizational choice with its membership in the European Union and today's question is what place it wants to occupy in it.
„I want Sofia and Bulgaria in the heart of Europe. A working democracy with free people, independent institutions, a modern economy and a clear awareness of where one belongs. I want a modern Bulgaria – people who rely on their knowledge, work and abilities, take risks and responsibility, create value and build their own professional path“, the mayor points out.
Terziev contrasts Bulgaria on the periphery of Europe with this model – turned towards political and geopolitical models of the past, concentration of power, subordination of institutions and media and lasting networks of influence around state power and public resources.
The European choice also has a specific economic dimension. Terziev points out that Bulgaria has a positive balance of 56 billion leva from its membership in the European Union.
“Behind these numbers are the metro, transport, schools, infrastructure, business, jobs and opportunities for generations of Bulgarians to study, travel and develop“, he says.
Along with the choice of the country's direction, Terziev also points to his personal managerial experience as a reason for casting his vote for Andrey Gyurov.
In less than three years as mayor of Sofia, he has worked with five different governments and prime ministers and, according to him, has seen how the instruments of state power can be used to put pressure on local authorities - by withholding funds, delaying projects and making municipalities dependent.
“When someone decides to punish a mayor or subjugate a city, the mayor does not pay the bill. The people pay for it“, Terziev states.
According to him, as Prime Minister, Andrey Gyurov has shown a different model of governance.
„Andrey Gyurov did not divide local government into his own and others. He did not use the instruments of the state either for punishment or reward. He treated mayors as elected representatives of citizens, not as political enemies or subordinates. This should be the norm in politics, regardless of our political preferences“, the mayor states.
It is Gyurov's behavior in the actual exercise of power that determines Terziev's personal choice.
„It matters what a person does when he gets power. Andrey Gyurov had the power to choose sides – he chose the more difficult and relatively rare one for our latitudes. He chose to be a statesman. This has earned my respect and vote.“
Vasil Terziev calls on citizens to participate in the presidential elections on October 25, the press center of the Sofia Municipality informs.
„Don't stay home. It's too expensive not to vote.“