Valentin Saykov,
Chairman of “Civil Initiative Bulgaria 2050“
After violent civil protests at the end of last year, the government of the four-party assembly was forced to resign. We are on the threshold of new parliamentary elections, which will differ from all the successive early votes in which we have been involved in the last five years. The big difference is that this time there is a new player on the scene, who for now gathers the hopes of a third of Bulgarians, according to recent sociological surveys.
The upcoming elections on April 19 will not only be about the composition of the National Assembly, but about the future of our country. Bulgaria is once again at a crossroads that will determine our place in a rapidly changing world. The fate of our nation will depend on the direction of development that we will or will not take now, on our action or inaction.
The moment is decisive and therefore the silence of the entire political class is even more unacceptable. Instead of answers to the main concerns of Bulgarian citizens, we see yet another degradation of the political debate to black PR. The serious criminal case “Petrohan-Okolchitsa“ has been used for weeks to uglyly spit on political opponents. Added to this is the personal composition of the caretaker government, whose members are sewn to this or that political force. We can expect in the coming weeks that the unfortunate idea of a permanent parliament will erupt into serious populist blunders over the extension of the budget and the organization of elections.
It is time for change to start now. Society must demand clear management programs from candidates for power, not only for a full four-year mandate, but also development strategies for a much longer period.
In order to take a clear look at the future, we must first answer three questions:
What have we done so far?
Where are we?
Where are we headed?
Then come the two more difficult questions:
Where do we want to go?
How do we get there?
In recent years, “Civil Initiative Bulgaria 2050“ has been trying to find answers to these five questions in its program documents and in the discussions it organizes with various experts. They are a good basis for a broad public discussion that will orient voters about the platforms and specific intentions of the candidates to win the votes of Bulgarian citizens.
At the beginning, we must begin by identifying the main dangers that threaten the existence of Bulgaria as an independent and prosperous state. First and foremost is the demographic crisis, which threatens the very existence of the Bulgarian state, at least in its current form.
The structure of the Bulgarian economy and the economic policy pursued predetermine the country's lag in development compared to our partners in the European Union and our international competitors. It is directly related to the deepening of social inequalities to the highest indicators for the entire European Union. Added to these is the unacceptable decline in the quality of healthcare, education and culture in the country. All these dangers are aggravated by the crisis of statehood, expressed primarily in the lack of the rule of law.
The need for national unification around several strategic causes that are vital for the survival and development of our country is obvious. It begins with the formulation of the Bulgarian national interest. Its understanding is the starting point for adopting a modern strategic vision for development.
The guidelines for the economic and social development of the country must become the supporting structure of this strategic vision, on which to build our domestic and foreign policy goals and cultural ambitions. The main goal for Bulgaria in the coming years must be to reach and surpass the average European level in terms of basic economic and social indicators. In order to have real catch-up development with our partners in the European Union, the annual GDP growth rates in the coming years must be at least twice as high as they have been so far. Without the fulfillment of this goal, all other major goals that we can set ourselves cannot be fulfilled. And these goals should be: Reversing the trend in the demographic development of the country by stopping the decline of the Bulgarian population and the depopulation of entire regions, improving the quality of the population in terms of age structure and educational level, strengthening the Bulgarian ethnic element as a leader in the formation of the nation's self-awareness and culture.
Guaranteeing national security by creating an economic base that ensures the independent existence and development of the country, skillful and professional conduct of foreign policy, strengthening combat-ready armed forces and effective security services that are subordinated solely to the national interest.
Increasing development of healthcare, education, science and culture in order to regain lost positions and catch up with the most advanced countries in this regard.
Putting the state at the service of the accelerated socio-economic development of society must be preceded by its profound reformation and practical implementation of the principle of the rule of law in all spheres of public life. From day one, the new government must begin to reduce the current inefficient costs and bloated staff in the state administration through rapid electronic management and, above all, stopping the theft of public funds.
Ensuring transparency and public control over state money is a necessary prerequisite for restoring the trust of business and citizens. The current supervisory boards of key institutions, appointed by the executive branch, must be replaced with public councils, including representatives of industry, consumer and other public organizations, whose members are most interested in their proper functioning.
The breakthrough in the fight against corruption must be sought in removing anti-corruption bodies from the scope of the executive branch and transforming them into independent bodies under public control. Their heads must be proposed not only by the government, but also by representative public organizations and appointed after the most transparent competitions. A well-tested formula for this is a proposal by the Council of Ministers and a presidential decree.
The judicial reform that has become boring to everyone must find new meaning and new content.
Our educational system must meet two basic requirements. It must provide professional training at a world-class level, combined with patriotic upbringing of the younger generations.
And in order for society to be able to continuously monitor and evaluate achievements and failures, we must restore independent media as a necessary corrective to the government.
In order for the pre-election debate to be fruitful, all political parties that are fighting for our trust should provide answers to the questions and proposals posed. This way, Bulgarian voters will be able to more easily orient themselves about their real intentions and choose who to vote for.
Political change in our country has long been overdue. In order for its effect to be as large and sustainable as possible, a huge public effort is also needed.
Bulgaria needs a serious discussion that will determine our development strategy for many years to come. This discussion must begin during the election campaign, but it cannot end on April 19. In the months that follow, it must take the form of a new round table with the participation of the best experts from all areas of public life. The adoption and adherence to a long-term development strategy is of key importance for restoring the trust of Bulgarian citizens in our country.