site.btaMECh Leader: No-Confidence Motion Aims to Give Bulgaria's Foreign Policy Backbone

Morality, Unity, Honour (MECh) leader Radostin Vasilev, who spoke in Parliament here on Wednesday, said that the no-confidence motion tabled by Vazrazhdane has nothing to do with pro-Russian parties pushing for Bulgaria leaving the European Union but aims to give Bulgaria's foreign policy a backbone. Vasilev's statement came in response to GERB-UDF MP Toma Bikov who said from the rostrum that this motion aims to halt Bulgaria's full integration into the EU and possibly even to lay the foundations for Bulgaria's exit from the European family.

Vasilev, whose party is also in favour of the motion, alleged that "since long ago, this stooping position has been making us look comical in the eyes of our closest neighbours, who have a much more responsible national position".

MECh does not want to have Bulgaria leave the EU or NATO but wants to defend a nationally responsible position in these alliances, Vasilev said at the start of his speech. He continued: "We will vote against this government. I hope that we, Vazrazhdane and Velichie, are united by the absolute unconditional wish that GERB and its courtiers never rule Bulgaria. There is no stronger position for MECh than that, and we would back a vote of no confidence on any subject. To be criticized for being part of some conspiracy to return Russian influence to Bulgaria and not wanting Bulgaria's participation in the EU, however, is speculation, and it is my obligation to reject it."

Vasilev stated that Bulgaria has had no foreign policy for the past 15 years. He added that a nation's foreign policy is an extension of its domestic policy. Vasilev criticized the government for having no idea how to govern.

He said that the country is taking the losing side by choosing to back Europe's policy of spending EUR 800 billion on armaments and fomenting military conflict in Ukraine instead of becoming a zone for seeking peace.

According to the leader of MECh, joining the eurozone cannot be a foreign policy goal. He described it as a technical issue that has to be implemented by achieving certain criteria. He alleged that Bulgaria's claim to have covered these criteria is false and added: "The political party MECh is not against the euro, but it is against its adoption in this way - by force, in the dark, by forming a government that was created only for this. And to protect immunities."

Vasilev accused Minister of Foreign Affairs Georg Georgiev of shamefully keeping silent after the death of Bulgarian citizen Marin Marinov in Gaza on March 19. He added: "No country would permit such silence, because this was a terrorist act."

Vasilev also said: "The subject of Ukraine has divided Bulgarian society immensely, [...] because Bulgarian politics has for a long time now been run by servile lackeys. To support the Ukrainian people with aid and keep the Bulgarian people in misery and poverty is the highest form of cynicism."