site.btaBTA Director General Valchev Proposes to Restore Political Leaders’ Debates Before Elections

Speaking to journalists on Monday, Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) Director General Kiril Valchev made a proposal to restore the political leaders’ debates before elections, as well as to reestablish the international press centres where all political leaders spoke after election days. Thus, media will be able to have the statements of political leaders altogether. Valchev made his comment shortly before opening a BTA event in which the agency's special correspondents came live from all 27 EU Member States where they covered the 2024 European Parliament elections on site in collaboration with the team of BTA staffers in the newsroom back in Sofia.

"Not only the debates are missing, not only the interviews, but even the political leaders’ statements after election day are missing. Bulgarians started losing any interest in Bulgaria's political life," Valchev argued.

"Bulgarian media should be more united in covering elections," Valchev stressed.

He explained that the BTA initiative in which the agency’s correspondents came live, covering the European elections from all 27 EU Member States, was created to help all other Bulgarian media. This is the way for Bulgarians to see how Europe is united in diversity, which is its motto, Valchev added.