site.btaUPDATED President Radev: Trust in Current Political Model Is Truly Running Out

President Rumen Radev gave a lecture at the University of National and World Economy (UNWE) in Sofia on Wednesday on the prospects and challenges facing young people. "Our country offers more and more opportunities," Radev noted.

Commenting on the current political model, Radev stated that trust in it is running out. He added: "I expect the political parties, especially the Bulgarian Parliament, to show reason, wisdom and to stand up to the expectations of the people. I expect that Bulgarian parliamentarism will prove its vitality with important decisions."

Asked about the latest amendments to the Constitution that altered the way caretaker cabinets are formed, the President said: "We are in a paradoxical situation. The authors of these amendments are complaining about themselves because of the amendments. There are two very important things in politics - responsibility and trust. When you make it so that responsibility is diluted, and accountability is lacking, it starts to destroy the foundations of democracy, the institutional foundations of the state and from there the road to chaos is very short."

The head of State pointed out that he could not give advice to the Constitutional Court, but explained that he expects the issue to be resolved more quickly given the high public tension. "I am not only talking about caretaker governments, but also about a number of other issues that I have referred to the Court that have a direct bearing on our future," he added. "We have to be extremely careful when we initiate constitutional amendments. We made quick changes with the small majority," Radev said.

The President recalled that on Wednesday was the MPs' ninth attempt to elect the a National Assembly chair. "Did anyone ever think that we would get this far, but apparently in politics everything is possible," Radev commented.

A student asked the President about the "worrying political situation" in the country and whether he thinks that people are hoping that the head of State would take measures and change that situation. "I get this question wherever I go. I am doing everything I can within my powers as President. This issue saddens and worries me. This hope and expectation in the people means that the trust in the institutions that are actually supposed to do this job is exhausted," Radev replied. "The issue is not about salvation through one person, the issue is for everyone, especially young people, to realize their responsibility, that the future is in your hands," the President told the students.

"A lot has been done in Bulgaria over the past decades. We have made a transition from a planned to a market economy. A transition from a centralized totalitarian state to democracy. We have achieved two important strategic goals - membership in the most powerful alliances - NATO and the European Union. Direct, foreign investments and high technologies flowed to Bulgaria in a number of sectors of our economy," the head of State said in his remarks.

In his words, the forms through which young people get involved in socially significant causes should be strengthened. Creativity must be stimulated, initiative must be encouraged, because modern education is no longer just academic knowledge. It is also stimulating critical thinking, creativity, emotional intelligence, presentation skills, communication skills, teamwork. "The world is an arena of fierce competition. Countries with ambitions develop not only economy, not only high technology, culture, art: they invest in their citizens from a very early age to prepare them for the great physical and mental stresses that await them in a highly competitive environment," Radev said.