Desislava Taneva, Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Food and Forestry, said to journalists in Sliven on Saturday that she finds the grain producers' protest to be fair.
She was asked to comment on the lifting of the ban on the import of certain agricultural products from Ukraine and the reaction of Bulgarian producers.
Taneva argued that the change in position of the Council of Ministers on lifting the ban without a debate with the sector would have led to nothing but protests. "This is a sector that brings a significant percentage of the country's gross domestic product, a sector that has made the Bulgarian land workable, generates enough income and employment," she said and added that every authority owes these people respect.
Taneva argued that the debate on the subject, which took place on Friday in Parliament, was shameful and shows a lack of competence. "We embarassed ourselves to five member states, alongside whom we have been fighting for a year," she commented. "Poland, which is emotionally the most supportive of Ukraine, stood its ground for this ban," Taneva added.
When asked whether the price of bread will decrease after the lifting of the ban, Taneva replied that such statements are basic populism and underestimation of society. "The raw materials market and the food market are absolutely different markets," she pointed out.
"Such a statement is extremely inappropriate for a statesman, he needs to apologise," she commented on the words of Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov, who said that the government will not give in to blackmail attempts.
"No one has united the industry like the current government," Taneva argued. "People from other sectors will participate in the protests, even those who wanted the ban to fall. They cannot accept such an attitude of the authorities towards the sector," said Taneva.
Taneva, who is the regional coordinator of GERB in Sliven, participated in the registration of the party for participation in the local elections and announced the candidacy of the previous Mayor of Sliven, Stefan Radev.
