Presidential candidates Rumen Radev and Anastas Gerdjikov face off in a pre-election debate ahead of Sunday’s run-off.
The two will clash on public issues, in which the presidential institution plays a key role.
Bulgaria today: Politics
“I believe that there will be a stable cabinet. This is the most urgent thing for Bulgaria,” said Prof. Gerdjikov at the very beginning of the debate, broadcast live on Bulgarian National Television.
Radev vs. Gerdjikov: What applications do the candidates go to the second round with?
“We need to have a regular government. The price at which this can be achieved must be measured. The parties to change must have the initiative. Not a government made up of ministerial seats, but about a clear assessment of how to get out of the crisis.” said Rumen Radev.
Asked what advice they would give to the leaders of the party winning the parliamentary elections, the incumbent said: “To start with a general meeting, to form joint expert groups on key sectoral policies. There to look for similarities. During the previous consultations, there was initially resistance to dialogue. I invited the parties to find a way to it. A compromise must be sought. If there is no one from every party, we will not succeed this time either. I think the parties understood that. And the president is a mediator, not an arbitrator. “
“All four parties say they are trying to find common ground, not dividing lines. This is visibly applicable, “Gerdjikov commented.
For support and parties
He also answered a question whether the support that GERB expressed to him before the elections on November 14 led to his lower result in the first round. “Last Sunday I received 80% of the votes of GERB and 10% of all the others. At that time, most formations had nominated their own candidate. Now that has changed. There are two candidates. “People can easily find out by majority what kind of president they are looking for and with what vision,” Gerdjikov said.
His opponent commented on allegations that “We Continue Change” was his party. “I don’t do engineering in politics. I invited Kiril Petkov and Asen Vassilev to participate in the caretaker government. I can guarantee that they were very good ministers. Petkov revealed a number of vicious schemes of the previous government. Then they decided to jump into party politics. This is their right and responsibility. If I decide to create a party, I will stand in front, “Radev said.
About the changes in the Constitution
“We need to consider whether we need a change in the Constitution. Such a project will contain the most important things, including those related to judicial reform. What is more frightening is that Mr. Radev mentioned several times that he has a project ready, but did not present it. The main reason for amending the Constitution, if necessary, is the rule of law. I want to see Radev’s project, not to be picky, but to discuss it. The most important thing is to talk about rules and principles, not to stare at the three big ones. It is not good to change the basic law in 5 minutes “, commented Prof. Gerdjikov.
Radev replied that his draft Constitution had been drafted by a large team of citizens and experts.
“I can reassure you that there are no frightening statements about democracy in it. “There is a need to expand civil rights, access to constitutional justice, expand the ability of citizens to participate in the legislative process and judicial reform,” the president said. He stressed that he would not allow himself to submit his draft amendments to the basic law of the state in an “unstable parliament”.
For the Prosecutor’s Office
“The problem there is both systemic and personal. It is no coincidence that during the protests, people wanted Geshev’s resignation. It is about the composition and powers of the Supreme Judicial Council. The main problem is that the chief prosecutor has no one to investigate,” Radev said. .
“This time I agree with what Mr. Radev said. You are on the right track if everything you say is true. I can offer you 10 ways to reduce the power of the Prosecutor General and control him,” Gerdjikov commented. .
About the relations between Bulgaria and the Republic of Northern Macedonia
“Another approach is needed on the part of RSM. The only thing Bulgaria wants is to respect the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborliness and Cooperation. We have built the line to the border, but there is nothing after it. There is a systemic problem on the other side. I have said many times that the historical commission is not historical and its goal is not to dig into history. The goal is not to allow in the textbooks in RSM to say things that turn people against the Bulgarians, “Gerdjikov commented.
According to Radev, Bulgaria should not say “yes” to the membership of our western neighbor in the European Union before “to stop the violation of the human rights of Bulgarians in Northern Macedonia, to stop the systemic de-Bulgarianization, to stop the destruction of the Bulgarian cultural and historical heritage. to eradicate hate speech in textbooks and the media “.
Both candidates for “Dondukov 2” united around the opinion that a referendum on the Bulgarian-Macedonian issue should not be held.
Solutions for resolving the COVID crisis
“These decisions have already been made. The caretaker government is implementing them. As of today, data from Reuters show that Bulgaria is in first place in terms of declining the number of infected. Did you forget that the children were locked up for a whole year? Now they are back in class. This is the most important thing “, Radev was categorical.
“I do not agree with this rosy picture. It is enough to see the hospitals to understand it. We need to encourage doctors. Why did we suddenly introduce this green certificate? Its introduction was a way of forcing people to get vaccinated. I don’t like anything done under duress. Coercion is threatening in our society. Doctors want materials, they want drugs, they want to get their money. Take to the streets and ask the citizens if we are coping with the health crisis and you will see what they will tell you, ”Gerdjikov replied.
Inflation and the cost of living
“We should not speculate on inflation. It is swirling all over the world. Both the United States and all European countries have record inflation. Bulgaria is no exception. Inflation is caused by higher fuel prices, “Radev commented.
“We could have done some things back in the summer. If we had not delayed the Recovery and Sustainability Plan, we could have received funds for the business. In addition, if we had requested notification earlier, we could have afforded to give state aid to companies. Bulgarian business is dying, “Gerdjikov said.
Relations with Russia
“Russia cannot be our model for development, but it cannot be our enemy. This is a country of different scales. Drowning politicians are resorting to Russia. There is a lot of speculation about this country. The most important thing is to seek dialogue in this complicated situation. The EU-Russia dialogue has been disrupted. That is why Merkel and Macron insisted on having such a summit, and US President Joe Biden began a dialogue with Putin, “Radev said. He added that Moscow was “an important factor in the fight against terrorism.”
“I used to hear other things from Radev. I agree with what he said now. We should not be divided into Russophiles and Russophobes. We are interested in working with Russia, as well as with any other country, “Gerdjikov said.
About the spy scandal
“The spy scandal is complex, but we have to ask ourselves the question: Why was the system for access to classified information breached? The access to it is given by the Bulgarian services “, commented the current head of state.
“Hybrid threats should not be underestimated because they are commonplace. With all due respect to Russian culture and people, but we should not tolerate such an attitude, “said Gerdjikov.
Is Washington interfering in our domestic politics?
“The United States does not interfere in the internal affairs of any country. But they, as a strong state, have their interests and defend them all over the world. I understand this, and that is why our common position on relations with all the great powers must be simple: to uphold our national interest. The Magnitsky and Panama Paper cases are a disgrace to us. We have to solve our problems ourselves “, Gerdjikov was categorical.
“We have to stand up for our sovereignty. Biden said some time ago that our problems are related to corruption. We have many resolutions, adopted declarations, but there is practically no effect “, Radev commented.
Security, defense and the flow of migrants
“We cannot but accept any refugees. These are people in need. Migrants come with them, and they often have nothing to do with refugees. It’s about human trafficking. This is a game with human destinies. Therefore, there must be a clear system for stopping the flow. One way is to do it alone, on our own, and the other is to be on good terms with the neighbors, “Gerdjikov said.
“Bulgaria is a country on the front line. I always convince our partners that we cannot accept more refugees. The risk for us is much higher than for other countries. The whole flow passes through us. We need an operational plan in which all EU countries are involved. We have to keep our borders “, Radev was categorical.
Expect details!
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