President Radev: It was the Government, not me, who started a war against the presidential institution

"It was the Government, not me, who started a war against the presidential institution. In that meeting, (from which a recording was made public by a WCC break-away), before they even got the power, President Rumen Radev told journalists when asked about the exchange of remarks between the government and the Presidency

All these beautiful talking behind which the government is currently hiding - in fact, behind this we see the dark ideas from the dark script of that recording, he said.

The President was referring to аn audio recording of a meeting of members of We Continue the Change (WCC), which was made public by a break-away WCC MP in May 2023 and which shows the party discussing a need to purge the security services; agreement to replace heads of the special services (State Agency National Security, National Security Service, etc.) with names that are "cleared with the embassy"; minimize the President’s clout; get rid of appointees of GERB or the President in the Ministry of Interior structures and the government agencies, among many other things.

"There is no way I can be part of this script or allow the President's Office to be held hostage by some dark interests," the President said.

"Now they are calling for dialogue, but in fact all of us can see that this is not an outstretched hand of partnership. At the same time, they are pushing for constitutional and legislative changes to totally cripple the powers of the presidential institution to make sure the President can no longer act as a corrective to any misdeeds of the government. This is hypocrisy that I cannot accept," Radev said.

He further said that "the secret preparation” of the sale of Lukoil oil refinery is an indication that the change is happening in the dark "with no dialogue, without informing the public about this strategic issue, without analyzing the possible processes and impact".

He turned to the attending reporters and urged them to ask for details "the people who first tell foreign news media what their plans actually are".

"The power-holders owe an answer about the future they plan for the Bulgarian oil refinery and the thousands of its employees, the entire Bourgas region, the national energy sector and economy," the President said.

Asked to comment the transit fees of Russian gas through our country to Hungary and Serbia, the President said that tomorrow is the Bulgarian-Hungarian Friendship Day, adopted by a decision of the two parliaments.

Asked to comment the fee that Bulgaria introduced for Russian gas transits via its territory, which is likely to drive up the price Hungary and Serbia pay for Russian gas, Radev pointed that October 19 is the Day of Bulgarian-Hungarian Friendship adopted by a decision of the two parliaments and the government “has ruined that, too”. “What European solidarity and integration is the government talking about when they go against the interests of a fellow EU and NATO member and a partner: a country with which we have strong and deep cultural and historic ties, and which is one of the main investors," Radev said, pointing out that Serbia was also affected.

Source: BTA