site.btaMedia Review: July 18

POLITICS

Thursday’s media report that Bozhidar Bozhanov of Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) told a media briefing that it has become clear that there is no support for their idea to pass anti-corruption legislature before forming a government. “This puts us in a situation of not being able to implement the second exploratory mandate, which is why we are ready the moment the President invites us to go and return it unfulfilled."

"I want to thank the President who gave us the opportunity to hold these talks and test whether there is the will in the 50th National Assembly to tackle Bulgaria's biggest problem at this moment - corruption and dependencies. We don’t want to waste time and that is why we are ready to return the mandate unfulfilled at the first convenient moment," said CC co-chair Kiril Petkov.

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The national radio runs an interview with political scientist Prof. Svetoslav Malinov. According to him, a technical or expert government means that there is a political crisis and low trust between the parties. Thus, standard solutions have failed seven times in three years.

Sooner or later a compromise will have to be found for a non-partisan cabinet at this stage, he pointed out and gave the example of the Netherlands, where, in his words, there is currently a non-party Prime Minister.

The political analyst stressed the impossibility to find this common ground and reminded that the rotation in the last government did not take place because the potential reforms would have been extremely disadvantageous for MRF floor leader Delyan Peevski and GERB leader Boyko Borissov.

GERB is hurt because after another victory they cannot form a government. Purely intuitively, GERB resists a non-partisan cabinet, while this, although an anomaly, is the only possible way at the moment to get out of the spiral of early elections, says Prof. Malinov.

He believes that without compromises Bulgaria will not be able to save itself from early elections in October and early elections in February next year, nor does he rule out the chance of having a technical government with the third mandate.

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BSP floor leader Borislav Gutsanov said on BNT that there is no discussion about a government and there cannot be at this stage.

The most important question is what is happening with the fires and what the National Assembly should do to make sure people get state support, he said.

In his words, CC-DB’s draft declaration to pass anti-corruption legislation is not an invitation to form a government, but a conversation based on loose references to violations of the Constitution. However, he said that the dialogue in the National Assembly is gradually beginning to recover. According to the BSP, there is one option - a government of national salvation and consensus - that can be achieved in this fractured Parliament.

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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will host the meeting of the European Political Community - a format created by French President Emmanuel Macron, BNR reports. The one-day forum is being held for the fourth time and is expected to bring together representatives of over forty countries, including Bulgarian President Rumen Radev. Earlier, in a statement, Starmer said European security would be a top priority in the defence and foreign policies of his government. 

MRF RIFT 

Myumyun Myumyun - an elected MP from MRF, now an independent - appeared in the studio of BNT. “We must preserve unity in the party - this is a situation that has happened more than once in the past. I believe we will come out of it stronger and more united, it is not something that is unsolvable,” he assured.

According to him, the election result pleased everyone - both the voters and the elected, but the new team forgot about some of MRF’s founding principles.

He said that in the short period from February until now, Delyan Peevski has turned from a "phenomenon" to a person who was the sole decision-maker in MRF.

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Dnevnik runs an interview with Assoc. Prof. Georgi Gochev, a classical philologist, publicist, translator from Ancient Greek, and Vice-Rector of the NBU for International Activities.

The main driver of the conflict between MRF honorary chairman Ahmed Dogan and floor leader Delyan Peevski is time. Rather, the lack of time. Dogan is growing old, and the question of who will succeed him in MRF is pressing for him. He would like to have time if he can, to be immortal, but he is nearing the end of his career. Peevski, on the other hand, has no time either, although he is young. He has no time, but in a different sense.

If Dogan has no time in front of him, Peevski has no time behind him. He has no history of his own. Or rather, his own history is only negative. A history of consistent rejection and ridicule.

Why is time a factor? Because in a feudal-oligarchic type organization like MRF, power is not mandated and is not the result of voting. Power is directly tied to the lifetime of the ruler. And when it ends, power must either be inherited or seized by another. Peevski is obviously not suitable for a successor, firstly because in this context he is not, to put it metaphorically, a thoroughbred prince. And second, because he is ridiculed and rejected by many. Being unable to inherit power, he must therefore seize it. Which he is trying to do.

Peevski represents a regression to the marginalization and rejection from which MRF was born. And that is why he cannot win the battle with Dogan, according to Prof. Gochev.

THE COUNTRY

The extinguishing of the big fire in the border municipality of Bolyarovo continues on Thursday, BNR and other media report. A partial state of emergency is in force for the villages of Voden, Sharkovo, Malko Sharkovo, Sitovo and Krainovo.

Around 200 people - firefighters, forest guards, gendarmerie, military personnel, volunteers, heavy equipment and a military helicopter took part in extinguishing the fire, which scorched about 15 houses. All the nearly 500 inhabitants of the village were evacuated. At the moment it is not clear how large the fire is, which also threatens two neighbouring villages - Krainovo and Sharkovo.

As of this morning, there are no more flames, but many houses are still smouldering and the fire may still flare up again.

The fight against the fire in Sredna Gora mountain continues. During the night the fire has not spread and there is no danger for the villages of Otets Paisievo, Sarnegor , Prolom and Begovo. The firefighters and forestry officials will be assisted by military personnel. Helicopters will also be used.

It is also expected that all the equipment of State road company "Avtomagistrali" and of the water and sewerage companies in the country will join the rescue activities.

Two helicopters, fire engines and bulldozers arrived from Turkiye last night to help tackle the fire.

Regarding the fires, Vice President Iliana Iotova said that the government should send a detailed letter to the European Emergency Response Coordination Centre.

The main task of the day is to stop the fire spreading northwards.

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Farmers in the fire-affected areas of the country, where a state of disaster has been declared - must submit a special application to the regional directorates of the State Fund "Agriculture", said the Ministry of Agriculture.

The application is needed to ensure that there are no problems with the payment of arable and livestock subsidies.

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The National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology has issued a code red for high temperatures for Thursday. The warning applies to all regions of the country.

Bulgaria Remembers National Hero Vasil Levski

The 187th anniversary of Bulgarian revolutionary Vasil Levski's birth was marked with a commemorative ceremony and a military ritual in front of the largest and most impressive monument to the Apostle of Freedom on the hill above Lovech, the national radio said.

A flower-laying ceremony was held in front of the monument of the Apostle in the yard of the Kukrinsko Hanche, the inn where he was captured.

Veliko Tarnovo also marked the anniversary with a military ritual in front of the monument to the Apostle of Freedom in the city centre. It is the only monument to Levski in the country, where the Apostle is on the gallows with his hands tied behind him. The monument is the work of sculptor Lyubomir Dalchev and was erected in 1946. The base of the monument features an inscription of the Apostle’s motto: "If I win - I win for all our people, if I lose - I lose only myself."