Where are the hopes of the left and centrist voters today. What is happening with the Volunteerism Law, how does the „BSP-United Left“ stand in the „Zhelyazkov“ cabinet… Georgi Svilenski, a member of the leadership of „Nepokorna Bulgaria“, speaks to FACTI.
- Mr. Svilenski, according to the latest sociological surveys, the BSP has 7.9%, which shows an approximate retention of the position from the time of the elections (7.5%). How do you view this?
- “BSP-United Left“ received 7.5% in the last elections, and that with all the signature votes and falsifications that were made in its favor and found by the Constitutional Court. And that after the unification of 30 left-wing parties. Regarding the commissioned sociological surveys that have been released, I think there is no point in commenting on them. There is no way that the BSP has 7.9% after all the betrayals it has committed towards its voters, which it has recently abandoned and started looking for a new electorate. The most accurate sociology has always been the attendance and attitude to the Buzludzha gathering, at which this year we all saw what it was.
There were no more than 2,500 people.
Under Chairman Ninova, we have gathered as many as 50,000 people. Now, for the first time since the congress, the party chairman was accused of treason and, together with the entire leadership, was booed by the supporters present.
- The “Zhelyazkov” cabinet is quite stable, but everything, as Boyko Borisov says, depends on the DPS-New Beginning. How do you see the role of the BSP in the cabinet?
- Since, as Borisov said, he and Zafirov go to Peevski for everything, this means that the cabinet belongs to Peevski, and the role of the BSP is that of an associated service corps that no one respects. Their only goal is to retain the five ministerial posts and several deputy ministerial posts. And they, by the way, reported it to Buzludzha as a great success, for which the betrayals they committed are worth it. By participating in this coalition government, they did not want to uphold and build on the achieved social commitments of the state, but easily abandoned them. This concerns all social payments for children, maternity leave for the second year, food vouchers, all social benefits, tax breaks for young families, etc. - everything is frozen. They even voted against the law on personal assistance, which regulates the status of the personal assistant, who can help those in need 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I repeat, the deputies from the “social” party voted AGAINST.
- GERB, BSP and ITN bear responsibility for the cabinet and vote quite unanimously. This was most recently seen in the election of the ombudsman. Maya Manolova was the BSP candidate, but the deputies supported the GERB candidate with the explanation that this was a decision of the governing majority. Is that so…
- Yes, they voted unanimously, because they have one boss, and that is Delyan Peevski. Both Borisov and Zafirov are heavily dependent on Peevski. We all know that the ombudsman is part of the list of possible caretaker prime ministers, and Peevski and Borisov cannot let another person who is not nominated by them take this position. This caretaker prime minister will hold the elections, and this is vitally important to them.
I will repeat again that the Constitutional Court ruled - GERB, “BSP-United Left“ and DPS have rigged the result.
These are fake deputies, a fake government and a fake majority. And regarding the BSP vote, well, in addition to betraying their voters, they are already clearly starting to betray and lie within the "United Left" coalition. Such a vote cannot be explained with normal arguments. This type of vote, in which you have your own candidate and vote for someone else's, needs a medical explanation.
- We hear requests for a full mandate for the "Zhelyazkov" cabinet. Do you think it is possible?
- Anything is possible. But a country in which prices are rising every day, but incomes are not; a country in which 250,000 people are without water; a country that is literally burning; a country in which medics, students, forest workers, transport workers and who else are protesting, it is not normal for the government to have the audacity to continue to govern. And if the mentors of this government, Borisov and Peevski, do not come to their senses and overthrow this government, then in the fall the people will take up this task, but then the future of these parties that brought the country to this situation will not be at all rosy.
- The “Zhelyazkov“ cabinet overcame several votes of no confidence. Do you see a real alternative in the opposition when it introduces a vote of no confidence?
- Unfortunately,
Those parties in the party that have declared themselves opposition are probably such on paper, but I would rather say that they are a made-up opposition, dependent on Borisov and Peevski.
They could not find at least one common topic on which to unite and attack the government. On the contrary, they are angry with each other, insult each other, fight. Well, that cannot be. I have been in opposition to GERB for a long time and I know how a real opposition should act - with harsh statements, with alternative proposals, with procedures and with votes of no confidence. And as for whether there is an alternative - yes, but it is not in parliament. The alternative is outside parliament. It is called “Unruly Bulgaria“. We have proven over time that despite the proposed positions and pressure, we did not betray the people. We are the only ones who have neither openly nor secretly negotiated with Borisov and the GERB model, now enriched with New Beginning. And with the support of all free and rebellious Bulgarians who want a Bulgaria freed from the Borisov-Peevski model, we can put our country in order.
- And while the politicians are resting, fires are everywhere in the country. And the law on volunteerism is maturing. Why is that?
- Yes, we are witnessing yet another insolence of the ruling party. Then, when the whole country is burning, when volunteers are being chased from work because they are putting out fires and saving their homes and nature, they - the elected representatives - went on a 33-day vacation, and the law on volunteerism has been sitting and maturing in parliament for more than six months. When we were deputies, we introduced it several times and GERB kept rejecting it. And the volunteers are today's heroes. They risk their lives and health to help people in trouble. It was very important that the parliament work, that's why they created this vicious coalition, so that there would be no timelessness, but what happened - timelessness came again. And everything is the same - water shortage, fires, now floods follow. But that's how it is with these people. The important thing is not to lose hope and to know that there is an alternative.
- At the same time, we see how President Radev and GERB leader Borisov talk about fires, helicopters and planes. What haven't we learned so far, since the fire destroys our forests every year?
- At least one thing is clear to everyone. And that is that if there is anyone who understands about planes, it is Radev. If there is anyone who understands about fires, it is Borisov. And at the same time, we don't have planes and fires have burned the country to ashes. I ask myself the question: “Then why is our country, which you govern, burning and for so long there has been no one to put it out?“ Because from these fires caused by high temperatures, by the negligence of citizens who throw away their cigarettes or light fires,
there are many interests of the forest mafia and much, much corruption.
And we come to the fact that there is no order, rules and justice. There is no executive power to catch the perpetrators or the corrupt. There is also no judicial system to punish the guilty. And those who go to put out the fires and then are fired from their jobs without anyone to protect them are declared guilty. But we must not give up. We - the rebellious Bulgarians, want and will fight to the end for the security and peace of families and property. For order, rules and punishment for those who do not respect them.
- Right-wing parties are already looking towards the presidential elections next year. And what are the left-wing parties doing…
- For these difficult years ahead, Bulgaria needs a president with left-center beliefs. Those who have declared themselves leftists in the face of the BSP and the other 31 affiliated parties that formed a coalition government with GERB and ITN, cannot nominate a left-wing candidate. The only thing left for them is to look for a new electorate. That's what their leaders say. And we - the people who are concerned about the future of Bulgaria, are approaching this process responsibly and with the help of thousands of irreconcilable, free and rebellious Bulgarians we will present our alternative, which will win the presidential elections.