Bulgaria’s President gives an overview of his second year in office

It was a year of illusory stability and growing lawlessness and erosion of democratic achievement, Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev said on 28^th of January in a conference in which he gave an overview of his second year in office.

In his words, the presidential institution was often the last barrier to lobbying legislation.

The President said that in 2018 he deepened the dialogue with all the Balkan leaders. He outlined the Danube Strategy as a tool that could be used to revitalise the economy in Northern Bulgaria.

National Councils on National Security, dialogue with the leadership of the Ministry of Defence, staff meetings have highlighted the problems of the armed forces. The latest decisions of the ruling power have upset the modernisation of the army, Radev said.

He noted that he imposed veto on 7 laws, saying it was not an act of opposing the National Assembly, but opposing the lack of real discussion of the problems.

Sadly, the Bulgarian democracy has been losing its position, freedom of speech is object of persecution. The latest critical voices in Bulgarian air are pressed with the instruments of power, the President said.

In conclusion, the President said he would form a council with the help of intellectuals and specialists to propose alternatives to institutional blocking. Bulgaria needs the talent of all Bulgarians in Bulgaria and abroad, Radev said.