Deputy PM Simeonov: I apologise to anyone who felt offended

After a few days of waiting, a coalition council was held on 24^th of October because of the tension created around the statement made by Deputy Prime Minister Valeri Simeonov regarding the mothers of children with disabilities. Ataka leader Volen Siderov came in first in the meeting. He was holding a sheet of paper in his hand, saying he was carrying old statements by Deputy Prime Minister Simeonov about Prime Minister Boyko Borissov. A little after 9 a.m., Valeri Simeonov himself made an address in which he apologised to the mothers of children with disabilities, “at the insistence of the coalition council".

Volen Siderov, Chair of Ataka party: I'm going to take this to Mr. Borissov, for his archive, to see how Valeri Simeonov had made a suggestion that Borissov should withdraw from politics same as Dogan (MRF). And he thinks people want stability without Boyko Borissov. This statement is from 2016, from 2017 - for the archive of Mr. Borissov.

Valeri Simeonov, Deputy Prime Minister: The Coalition Council held with the Prime Minister discussed the issue raised by the media campaign on the occasion of a statement made by me and the daily protests outside the Council of Ministers. In this regard, at the insistence of the Coalition Council, I offer my apologies to all who have been affected or who have felt offended by my statement in an interview for Scat TV. I do not think I need to argue. I have already done so several times - about my attitude towards disabled children, people with disabilities. Since I myself have experience with disability in my family. And I have also helped, by any possible means, such people and children with disabilities. So once again I offer my apologies. In no way did I intend to offend anyone.

At the government meeting after the coalition council, Valeri Simeonov's chair remained empty. It was not clear whether Volen Siderov and him managed to clear tensions and contradictions between themselves.