“President Rumen Radev is usurping power with his remarks regarding the European Defense Agency’s initiative to provide ammunition to Ukraine”.
Ivan Kostov, Prime Minister of Bulgaria 1997-2001, stated this to BNR, and recalled that the parliament twice – once on November 3 (with the votes of 175 deputies – b.r.) and the second time on 9- and December – obliged the government to provide the necessary military equipment to Ukraine.
Parliament’s decision for giving military and military-technical assistance to Ukraine is ongoing, not one-offhe emphasized.
“Radev says he is defending the country’s sovereign position, but he has no right because he is not the sovereign of power. He has no right to say what he has decided because the sovereign – the National Assembly – has obliged the government. … Even Radev says “if the parliament again calls for the delivery of weapons”, but parliament does not call, it decides and obliges the government. The government cannot refuse to fulfill an obligation imposed on it by the parliament,” he specified.
“Bulgaria has huge possibilities to produce 155-mm projectiles, and this is recognized by the Minister of Defense. Yes, we do not have such combat systems with which to use these projectiles, but we will produce them for Ukraine, because the money comes from the European Defense Agency , of which Bulgaria has been a member for a long time. Deepening our integration with the EU means that we implement the decisions of the European bodies, to be in solidarity with them. … Bulgaria is perhaps one of the most powerful projectile manufacturing industries. Bulgaria has the possibility to free up a reserve, and this is an excess reserve, to give it to VMZ-Sopot, and for it to export it to European countries, through which it can reach Ukraine. There are many possibilities, but these statements usurp the power of the president,” added Kostov.
Radev’s refusal to allow the Bulgarian defense industry to produce 155-millimeter projectiles is a blow to the country’s industry and economy, he said and categorically stated that this is not how a country is run.
“When Hitler attacked Moscow, did anyone propose a peace treaty with him?or it became a grand coalition of democratic states that provided enormous aid to the invaded Soviet Union to repel the enemy. We are in the same situation. Russia invaded Ukraine and tried to capture Kiev and conquer Ukraine. She continues to have these goals and threatens publicly. Which of the European leaders is able to seriously look their constituents in the eye and say that they are offering Russia a peace treaty? Russia is the aggressor and it must be repelled. This logic is so simple that only a person who is a Russian agent of influence, as I defined President Rumen Radev a long time ago, can afford to maintain. Because the consequences are the collapse of institutions, to which the president contributes. If the decisions of the sovereign in power in the country, of the parliament, are not implemented, what is left for the decisions of the other institutions?” said Ivan Kostov in a comment on the position expressed by the president that giving weapons to Ukraine adds fuel to the fire of war and Bulgaria will only support European diplomatic efforts to restore peace.
according to him Radev is fighting for “some kind of championship in the left”:
“He refuses to be the president of the whole nation and goes to become the president of the left and of “Vazrazhdane”.
There is no clear way out even after these electionscommented the former prime minister in the show “12+3”.
“The inability to form a government has already driven voters away from the polls several times and this reduces the general trust in political parties and they, in this difficult situation for them, try to keep their hard cores. Successful campaigns attack fringe voters, try to attract new voters, while at the moment when everything is shrinking, they try to keep their hard cores. That is why there are so many red lines in the behavior of the parties. They are to keep their cores hard“.
Ivan Kostov said hypothesis of a possible government of the so-called “paper coalition” (GERB, BSP and DPS)regardless of which political formation will win the vote on April 2nd.
“If this thing happens, they will resume their positions in many of the key institutions of the country. This promises continued deep division in societybecause on the key issue – the war in Ukraine – they are in a different position”.
Another option, according to him, is to look for a large coalition, “for which many analysts close to GERB are throwing in the public space”.
“What I’m saying does not indicate the possibility of a constitutional majority (PP, DB, GERB, DPS), although I am far from the political discussions between the parties and their relations,” he stated.
In his words minority governmentto be voted by the majority in the National Assembly, can be immediately shaken because the parliament dictates the government’s behavior:
“A majority in the National Assembly against a minority government will do it to nothing in just one monthKostov emphasized.
The parties must know a simple and iron truth in the economy, emphasized the former prime minister and formulated it as follows:
“One cannot give something that has not been produced. It must be produced to give, to give more, more must be produced. There must be more goods to be distributed, with which inequality can be broken and savings can be protected through them. The opposite policy – we print money, give pensions, give salaries and increase these costs – it only leads to inflated inflation”.
Kostov predicted that there is no way to reduce the inflation that is currently in Bulgaria in one year, so that our country meets the criteria for entering the Eurozone.
According to him it is a targeted recovery policy is necessary at least 2-3 years to meet the deficit criterion:
“Even if we met the deficit criterion, the EU would not make a gesture for geopolitical reasons because of the publicly announced behavior of Bulgaria regarding the most painful issue for the EU – support for Ukraine“.
You can listen to the interview of Daniela Goleminova with Ivan Kostov in the program “12+3” from the sound file.