site.btaPM Takes Questions about Wildfires, Ukraine War, Relations with President

The wildfires raging in some parts of Bulgaria, Ukraine and relations with President Rumen Radev were among the issues about which caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev was asked in a Q&A session on Facebook on Tuesday. The questions came from the news media and ordinary people.

Wildfires and support from the State

A major fire near the southeastern village of Voden is now contained, said Glavchev. He confirmed that people who suffered damage in the fire would receive assistance and compensation, and that mobile homes would be provided for people whose homes were destroyed by the wildfires.

He complained that public procurement appeal procedures delay the delivery of firefighting equipment.

Currently, there is a BGN 170 million procedure under way to equip the fire service. 

Bulgarian charge d’affaire in Kyiv

The Prime Minister dismissed criticism by President Rumen Radev that the government bypassed the head of State’s objections to the appointment of Nikolay Nenchev as ambassador to Ukraine and send him to Kyiv as charge d’affaire as the procedure does not require the President’s approval. He said that the established protocol was duly followed and that there aren’t many candidates for the ambassador’s office in Ukraine, due to which a charge d’affaire had to be appointed.

Bulgaria has been without an Ambassador in Kyiv for two years now.

Ukraine war

Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev said that while he is in office, no Bulgarian soldiers will be sent to Ukraine, and that NATO has no intention to send troops there. “I implement the decisions of the National Assembly, I strictly adhere to them, I do not exceed them at all, I have no such powers and my mandate is voted by the National Assembly regarding Ukraine,” he said. He stressed that NATO is a defence organization and not an aggressive alliance. At the NATO summit in Washington it was confirmed that Ukraine will be supported as long as it is necessary, as long as it wants to be supported against Russia's aggression, the Bulgarian prime minister said.

Bulgarian EU Commissioner 

On the issue of a Bulgarian commissioner in the new European Commission, Glavchev said that there are currently no talks on the allocation of portfolios because it is too early. “First, Ursula von der Leyen, who has been elected president of the European Commission, will ask for proposals from the member states, then opinions will be probed in talks between the states,” Glavchev said. Now the process of forming the commission starts, it is early stage, there is no such conversation yet, he said.

Relations with the President

Glavchev was adamant that there is no tension between President Radev and himself. “At a celebration of the diplomatic service yesterday, we met with the President, with the Vice President and the Patriarch. We had quite normal talks,” he said. He added that the question why President Radev decided not to head the Bulgarian delegation to the NATO Summit in Washington, should be addressed to the President. 

Interior Minister, the other ministers

Most ministers are performing well, but a few are underperforming, said Glavchev. Asked about potential changes in the caretaker government, he said "I don't necessarily need to keep or replace anyone. To answer in jest, and I hope you take it as such, I'd switch out the foreign minister. There is a hint of truth in that joke, as it would be beneficial to appoint a career diplomat as foreign minister."

Dimitar Glavchev also serves as Foreign Minister in the caretaker Cabinet he heads.

He sees no reason to replace Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov. "Before the elections there were doubts that Stoyanov would influence the elections. You saw, the elections went normally and according to the rules, everyone did their job excellently," the Prime Minister said.