President Radev: Bulgarian society has proved to be strong enough to oppose corruption and authoritarianism

Bulgarian society has proven to be strong enough to oppose corruption and authoritarianism, said Bulgaria’s head of state, President Rumen Radev, who is participating in the Summit for Democracy at the invitation of US President Joe Biden.

"The events in Bulgaria in the past year have proved that democracy is deeply rooted in Bulgarian society. It is vital and strong enough to oppose corruption and authoritarianism, and people are ready to defend their civil rights. Our institutions have proved that they are able to hold fair and free elections, the head of state Rumen Radev said.

The various panels of the international forum, which takes place online on 9 and 10 December, are attended by heads of state and government from around the world, representatives of non-governmental organizations and journalists who have contributed to strengthening democratic values ​​and institutions. The Summit for Democracy focuses on the challenges facing democratic societies, as well as on common efforts to guarantee political freedoms, transparent and accountable governance, the empowerment of civil society, freedom of expression and media independence.

Speaking to the participants in the conference, the Bulgarian President highlighted the challenges that our country has faced since the beginning of the transition to building a democratic society 32 years ago:

"The transition from a centrally planned to a market economy can lead to deep social upheavals. In Bulgaria, it has failed to eradicate poverty and gave rise to emigration and large-scale corruption," Rumen Radev said.

Impunity for corrupt practices, the concentration of media ownership and growing public apathy in recent years have been identified by the head of state as manifestations of the transition, which also create preconditions for the rise of a new type of authoritarian rule.
The energy of civil society from the protests in the summer of 2020 led to the rejection of the compromised model of governance and the emergence of new political parties that have won the trust of citizens, the President said.

Rumen Radev welcomed the active public debate, in which the fight against corruption was identified as a top priority, as well as strengthening the independence of the judiciary, greater accountability of the prosecutor’s office and a quality legislative process.

The head of state said that it would be difficult for individual countries to succeed in their struggle for democracy if they relied solely on their own capabilities and highlighted the fundamental values ​​and moral direction for the development of societies contained in the European Convention on Human Rights, and Bulgaria's access to financial and technical assistance provided by its European and international partners.

Corruption harms both countries that have been directly robbed and those that provide asylum for criminal assets, Rumen Radev said, calling for even more active joint action in the international fight against corruption. The head of state highlighted as an example, in this regard, the support for Bulgarian citizens expressed by the European Parliament resolution of 2020 on the rule of law in Bulgaria, the sanctions imposed by the US administration under the Magnitsky Act, as well as the trust that the democratic community in our country assigns to the professionalism of the European Public Prosecutor's Office in the investigation of corruption and fraud with European funds.

The President also pointed out that in its democratic path Bulgaria will spare no effort to effectively fight corruption, build a responsible administration, guarantee media freedom and strengthen citizens' trust in institutions.

"No achievement in the field of the rule of law should be taken for granted," President Rumen Radev said in his address to the Summit.

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