PM Radev: 'September 11 Attacks Raised the Question of How Far Human Freedoms Can Be Restricted in the Name of Security'

The fundamental question raised by 11 September attacks – how far governments should go in restricting civil liberties in the name of security – still has no exact answer. Prime Minister Rumen Radev said this on the day marking the 25th anniversary of the attacks on the Twin Towers in New York.

“There is no place for terrorism in our societies and we must do everything in our power to combat all forms of terrorism. This is aformidable task – it requires comprehensive action in many directions,” the Prime Minister stressed.

The Prime Minister also commented on the planned changes to gambling legislation:

“The issue with gambling is not just about restricting advertising. We are preparing comprehensive legislative changes that will bring greater transparency to the industry, curb gambling addiction, because this is an extremely serious problem, and improve revenue collection. We must also prevent any attempts to use this business for money laundering. It is, of course, linked to quick loans.”

Regarding the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), Radev stressed that its members would be elected under the existing rules.

“SJC members will be elected under the existing rules. The key issue is to prevent the election of SJC members from becoming a matter of party manoeuvring and political games. That would be disastrous for the formation of a new SJC, and political parties must not block the process.”

The Prime Minister also commented on the debate surrounding changes to the Bulgarian National Television (BNT) broadcast programming schedule:

“There has been no political interference in BNT’s work, at least not from our side, either as those in government or as a party. So if anyone else is allowing themselves to interfere, that is their responsibility. Every new BNT management team has the right to reorganise its programming. Surely this has been done before?”

According to BNT’s official position, the programming is undergoing a renewal, and the broadcaster is not parting ways with any of its long-serving journalists.

The Prime Minister attended a ceremony presenting the “National Diploma” honorary awards to top-performing school leavers from the 2026 graduating class. The event was held at the National Archaeological Museum in Sofia.