Bulgarian statehood has once again been put to the test. The ruling coalition between GERB, BSP, ITN and Novo nachodne has undertaken another national betrayal - the liberalization of passenger transportation in railway transport.
After airports, freight transportation, ports, mobile operators and even the postal services market have passed into private hands in recent decades, today the backbone of national transport, namely the railways, is under attack.
This is stated in a position of the "Vazrazhdane" party, sent to the media. Here is more from the party's statement:
Since its inception, “Vazrazhdane” has been fighting against such anti-state policies that take strategic sectors away from the people and give them to economic circles close to power. Railway transport is not just a service, but a vital infrastructure that guarantees mobility, connectivity and security for Bulgaria. Even the Constitution clearly places the railway under the protection of the state. In Art. 18, para. 4 it is written: “A state monopoly may be established by law over railway transport, national postal and telecommunications networks, and the use of nuclear energy…“. In other words, the national interest is built on the railway and the sovereignty of the country is strengthened.
Our history is also a testament to this. Back in 1866, the first railway line was built on the territory of present-day Bulgaria. Immediately after the Liberation, the young Bulgarian state realized the strategic importance of railway transport and began to actively develop the network. Thanks to state policy, over 4,000 kilometers of railway lines were built - arteries, which are still the main backbone of transport in the country today.
To date, however, the Ministry of Transport, headed by the Ministry of Transport, under the control of the Prime Minister from GERB, is proposing a policy that, instead of reform and development, only leads to the benefit of private companies. The scheme is clear: the state purchases new locomotives and wagons, which will then be provided for operation by private companies for a period of 12 years. The formula for calculating subsidies guarantees a profit for private operators, without them taking any risk. This is a gift to the private sector and a blow to Bulgarian citizens. Railways are not just about transportation, they are a matter of national security and a strategic future.
Liberalization is a disguised form of privatization that will deprive the state of control over a vital public service and will only lead to the enrichment of a few.
The position of “Vazrazhdane” is categorical: it is time for this government to resign. Bulgaria needs a government that will protect the interests of the people and the state, and not serve oligarchic and foreign interests.