site.btaUPDATED Prime Minister Denkov Takes Questions from Journalists, Citizens on Monthly Q&A on Facebook

On Thursday, Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov answered questions on current topics from journalists and citizens on Facebook. The questions he was asked ranged from Bulgaria's Schengen entry, to the upcoming government rotation to counter-corruption efforts, among many other.

Schengen

Prime Minister Denkov said that in regards the admission of Bulgaria to Schengen by land, there are no current talks with Austria, but there are discussions with the European Commission (EC) on what the next steps should be.

This process is coordinated by representatives of the EC and that is why the talks are mainly with them, explained Denkov. The he only resistance comes from a few politicians in Austria who have the right to make this decision. Bulgaria has the support of all other countries, he added. This is a decision that is beyond the control of the Bulgarian authorities, said the Prime Minister.

“We are strengthening the outer border and it is better than ever. We are buying more equipment, reducing the number of migrants passing through there. In this regard, Bulgaria is doing extremely well,” commented the Prime Minister.

Government rotation

Commenting on details of the upcoming government rotation, Prime Minister Denkov said that the it would be easiest if he and the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel swapped positions. He defined this as the reason he wants to become foreign minister, as in nine months the two could easily rotate back again.

The Prime Minister noted that the longer answer to the question and the more substantive one is that the prime minister and the foreign minister have a special role in every government. These are the people who mostly contact the heads of state and the international representatives of all other countries. Therefore, they are the ones who work together or switch positions when such a change is required, Denkov pointed out.

When it comes to the ministers’ positions in the upcoming rotation, the Prime Minister commented that he has always defended the principle that ministers are not of one party or another. They are people elected after having the approval of both sides of the party leaders.  

He noted that the notion that GERB have nothing to do with the composition of the Council of Ministers is quite deceiving, as the Cabinet was formed after discussions. Some of the people who are now in the Council of Ministers were proposed by Maria Gabriel, Denkov pointed out.

“We are not trying to take anything away from GERB,” he added.

Regarding the assessment of the ministers, the Prime Minister said that he had a meeting with Mariya Gabriel, the two exchanged views. She has asked to hold separate meetings with each of the ministers, to discuss the priorities for the next period. Denkov said that there should be minimal changes in the cabinet but noted that Gabriel will work as prime minister with these ministers, so her opinion is very important.

Denkov commented that in the last eight or nine months there have been continuous attempts by various institutions to publicly present themselves as power-holders, such as the presidential institution.

When asked if he had to form a cabinet now, would he choose experts again or would he approach more politically, Nikolay Denkov said that if the figures are not experts, they can very easily be dependent on other people, because they will not know how to get on with their job. The fact that almost all of them are experts, have their own opinion and can defend it gives strength to this Council of Ministers, Denkov said.

Changes in regulatory bodies

Prime Minister Denkov also noted that several months, the party leaders have been discussing what the rules should be for electing people to the regulatory bodies, and that he considers the delay in the selection of regulators as risky.

The Prime Minister explained the role of regulators, saying they are important to people and businesses because of the enormous power they have over them if they act rightly or wrongly. He noted that in the interest of separation of powers, neither Parliament nor the executive should be able to command them directly. That is why it is so important how they are selected as a composition, he added.

He noted that this discussion has now accelerated and there are options on how to approach it. Denkov favours an approach where any political party in the National Assembly can make a nomination, have a discussion, and finally have an agreement between the various participants in the process.

Fighting corruption

Prime Minister Denkov also commented on the government’s efforts in fighting corruption, noting that they have managed to do quite a lot within what a government can do.

Denkov gave an example of the State Consolidation Company, which was still able to do in-house procedures without public procurement when he took office. ”We have stopped some of these processes, by which tens of millions had disappeared. We filed reports with the prosecution service and recovered several tens of millions of BGN. This is an example in which we are fighting corruption, but from then on, someone must prove and condemn the one who used the money illegally,” commented the Prime Minister.

Denkov also mentioned the high-profile case of Martin “The Notary” Bozhanov as another case in which there are clearly intertwined interests in the justice system. He noted that unlike previous similar cases, now there is a change – the prosecutor general has been replaced, efforts are being made for a justice reform, and he expressed hope this will reflect in the case.

Energy

Regarding an agreement signed between Bulgaria and the USA on strategic cooperation for the development of nuclear energy in the country, the Prime Minister commented that by the end of March this year, a first assessment from Westinghouse is expected for the estimated cost and structure of the project, so that it can proceed to preparation and realization. The project should be ready by the middle of 2025. The block is expected to be built by 2033, added the Prime Minister.

Economy

Prime Minister Denkov said that the increase in income over the last 12 months is three times the increase in inflation. “We started from a low base, it takes time, but there is significant progress,” he explained.

Denkov also said that two ministers have met with representatives of mobile operators regarding their intention to increase service price.  The talks have been quite substantive, he added.

Defence

All countries should realize that the world has changed a lot in the last two years, the Prime Minister said. NATO countries, especially those close to Russia, must build the capacity to allow them to feel secure so that, if attacked, they can respond decisively.

Bulgaria is one of the 18 NATO member states that this year will allocate 2% of their gross domestic product (GDP) to defence spending, said Denkov.

Asked to comment the remarks by Donald Trump suggesting he would not defend NATO allies who failed to spend enough on defence and would let Russia do "whatever the hell they want", the Prime Minister said that was "a heedless thing to say because it encouraged an aggressor". He added that Bulgaria has invested "quite a lot" in its Armed Forces. 

As regards the war between Israel and Hamas, Denkov said that Israel has the right to defend itself, "but the question is where the line is". “What Israel has the right to do to prevent such terrorist acts from happening again, how this intertwines with the casualties and suffering of civilians in the Gaza Strip, what we can call proportional balanced force - that is the discussion at the moment, it has no easy answer,” commented the Prime Minister.

Bulgaria’s position is that a sustainable solution without creating two states that can exist is probably very difficult to find, Nikolay Denkov added.