The week was rich in political intrigue. Do we have a non-working F-16, is it possible that it could be hacked, why did Maria Gabriel fall from the leadership of the EPP and does this have anything to do with the government in Bulgaria, and where does the hope come from that the sanctions under the "Magnitsky" can be lifted - these are the issues that Boyko Stankushev and Kristian Škvarek discussed on Nova TV.
Elections in Romania
„Romanians are not that different from Bulgarians. Their choice is important because the country borders Ukraine. Their political culture is a little better – they have been reading European books for a longer time“, commented Stankushev in the studio of “In Focus” the presidential elections in our northern neighbor.
“The Romanians did not react extremely to Calin Georgescu – their services did. They are extremely strong“, said his Christian Škvarek.
F-16
“Some time ago I was in Poland, where they were repairing the Bulgarian MiG-29s. I saw that the F-16s were also being repaired there. I say this because access to such equipment is not easy and only an absolute fanatic would commit sabotage. I don't believe it's a criminal case in the strict sense of the word," Stankushev said.
According to him, it's possible that the plane arrived with a hardware problem.
„This is another attempt to divert attention from other important topics. It's no coincidence that the issue was raised by Rumen Radev, and Borisov reacted at the first signal - which shifted the topic," he added.
„The reason there's so much talk about the F-16 is that the topic is being politicized. This has been a political issue for years. A technical problem should not become a political issue,“ emphasized Shkvarek.
„Magnitsky“
Stankushev stated that there are no individuals in Bulgaria with „great merits to Trump“, and therefore he does not expect sanctions under the „Magnitsky“ law to be lifted.
„If this happens, it will cause turmoil in the US, including among Republicans“, he said.
„Washington lifted the sanctions on an advisor to Viktor Orbán because he was an open ally of Donald Trump for many years“, explained Škvarek.
„If someone in Bulgaria expects their sanctions to be lifted, they should ask themselves what they have done for the Trump administration“, he stressed.
Škvarek added that during Joe Biden's administration, Bulgarian politicians changed their course towards the US.
Maria Gabriel and the EPP
„This was a wink at her mentor – Boyko Borisov. The EPP hint that there is a reason – not so much towards her personally, but rather towards GERB's domestic and foreign policy. They know that their policy depends on Peevski, and now they are simply “turning on the blinker”, Stankushev commented on the removal of Maria Gabriel from the leadership of the EPP.
“The EPP has no problem with Peevski or with Bulgarian corruption. The reasons are different – the European elite has an interest in Bulgaria entering the eurozone. In my opinion, Borisov did not try to make her become deputy chairman. He did not fight“, said Shkvarek.
According to him, Gabriel was previously suspected of negotiating with “Continuing Change“ in connection with the rotation of the government.