site.btaUPDATED PM Designate Denkov: The Point of this Government Is to Enable Parliament to Function

"We are convinced that the step we are taking now is useful for Bulgaria," Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) prime minister designate Nikolay Denkov said here on Friday as he and Mariya Gabriel of GERB-UDF briefed the media on their cabinet proposal. They take this risk clearly realizing that if the changes for the sake of which they do so take the wrong turn, the two will resign, because the point of this government is to enable Parliament to function and enact the right laws.

Denkov said that Gabriel and he are very clearly aware of the difficult days, weeks and months lie ahead. In his words, the coming months can be excruciating without a budget to finance all policies that are essential to people: pensions, wages, capital expenditures, preparations for the winter and road repairs. Without amending the laws mentioned in the law-making and governance programme Bulgaria will be unprepared for what is coming, Denkov added.

Asked about the talks with the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, he explained that they discussed ways of drafting the requisive revisions to the Constitution and of handling all other important tasks, including the replacement of the regulators "so that nobody would feel excluded from the processes." "What was clearly said is that everything will be done publicly and clearly, without undisclosed understandings," he commented.

"The whole process cannot be completed by just amending the laws," Denkov said, specifying that the important thing was therefore to seek support of at least 160 votes in the legislature for a constitutional reform, and this was the subject of Friday's talks.

In a joint declaration which Gabriel read in front of the media at the National Assembly, the two rotating prime minister nominees listed the priorities on which the two coalitions have reached mutual understanding and concord and which they have included in their programme:

- passage by the National Assembly of priority bills on key reforms and resolve of the executive to achieve their full-fledged application;

- transparent and responsible administration, enabling continuous public monitoring and feedback, opening and sharing of public sector data;

- ensuring highly effective and high-quality services to individuals and companies which should be readily accessible, fast, proactive, and generating development and economic growth;

- accelerating public sector digitalization, wide-ranging use of emerging technologies and creating an stimulating environment for innovation, building on what has been achieved so far;

- building a professional and motivated administration, capable of innovation, an inclusive administration functioning on the basis of equal treatment,justice and high ethical standards.

"We stand by each administration employee who meet all professional and ethical standards of the post held and who have demonstrated by their performance that they defend the interests of the State and citizens," the joint declaration reads. The nominees' vision of good and open governance in public administration rests on the universally accepted principles of rule of law, effectiveness and efficiency, public welfare, transparency, diversity and inclusion, fairness and equality, and resilience to corruption.