site.btaPresident: Power Sharing Scandals Increasingly Tear Apart Government and Society

The ongoing government power-sharing scandals are increasingly tearing apart government and society, President Rumen Radev told journalists on Tuesday in response to a question after he familiarised himself with the analysis of the state and preparation of the Armed Forces in 2023, the presidential press secretariat said. "People see quarrels over posts, over power resources, over who will speak out, but they do not see issues related to the national interest and their expectations as citizens being resolved," the head of state said.

On the topic of the murder of Martin Bozhanov, Radev said that the creation of a criminal network to influence the judiciary cannot happen without political protection. "Removing such a tumor and preventing such practices in the future requires reaching the end and revealing the political dependencies," he said, stressing that all Bulgarians expect it. Radev noted that it is a test but also an opportunity for the judiciary, the executive and the National Assembly. In his words, whether the ad hoc committee set up to look into the facts and circumstances related to the activities of the group around Bozhanov will have the will or the desire to reveal the political dependencies will determine to what extent the parliament is willing to be involved in solving this case. 

Responding to a question about the consultations with parliamentary groups after the prime ministerial rotation, Radev said that consultations have always been held with the aim of reaching a consensus among the parliamentary political forces. The President reiterated that he will act entirely in accordance with the Constitution so as to provide the best possible conditions for the executive to take its decisions in this process. 

Asked about information that he will be forming a political party, Radev told journalists to ask those political leaders who are talking about it about their preoccupation with it. In hiss words, the apparent violation of all pre-election promises and the violation of elementary principles in the power-sharing government coalition does not yield results in the interest of society, thus, citizens are looking for an alternative. "I have repeatedly said that if I give my trust to any political force, I will make it public personally," the head of state further said.