President Iliana Iotova: There Should Be a Comprehensive Package of Measures against Price Hikes

There should be a comprehensive package of measures to counter rising prices, President Iliana Iotova said during a visit to Pernik on March 20.

“It seems to me that this will be one of the most challenging campaigns for the political forces, because in the midst of such a severe crisis—not only in Bulgaria, but globally—we expect them to propose the most effective and workable measures for overcoming it. We will listen carefully to these proposals.”

She indicated that the €20 fuel support measure for vulnerable groups had not been discussed with her directly.

“I see it as an initial, modest step, aimed at those most in need. Let us first see whether the methodology proposed by the Council of Ministers proves effective. When we discussed the priorities of the caretaker government at the time of its appointment, this was one of the measures I insisted on.”

Ms Iotova stressed the need for a broader and coordinated response to rising prices.

“The international environment, which is changing daily—and unfortunately not for the better—inevitably leads to higher prices. These increases in fuel costs will inevitably feed through into the prices of goods and services in Bulgaria.”

She also expressed disappointment with the outcome of a recent meeting in Brussels.

“I expected the European Union and the European Parliament to put forward a far more specific set of measures. Unfortunately, once again, everything remains in the future tense. It is clear that individual countries are being left to take action.”

She added that she is due to meet representatives of the Commission for Protection of Competition on Tuesday, followed by talks with the government.