President Radev refuses PM's request to dismiss the Head of the State Agency for National Security

President Rumen Radev has sent a written refusal to Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov regarding the requseted dismissal of the head of the State Agency for National Security (SANS).

PM Denkov seeks the dismissal of SANS Chairman Plamen Tonchev

Denkov asked for Plamen Tonchev's resignation last week over the report on the machine voting, which led to the cancellation of the use of voting machines in the first round of Bulgaria’s local elections.

"The case with the rSANS chairman is over. Today I sent an official formal refusal to the Prime Minister's request for his dismissal because the motives do not fit. SANS, by its actions protected the law," the President said.

President Rumen Radev with new criticism of the Prime Minister over the demand for the dismissal of the head of SANS

While the Parliament and the government are playing power games, a number of destructive processes are taking place in Bulgaria, the President further said.

He also commented on the transmission fee for Russian gas and Bulgartransgaz's debt, saying that Bulgaria "is becoming narrow for the delusions of grandeur of some people."

Bulgaria introduced a fee for transit of Russian gas through its territory

"A month ago I said that the new fee (for the transmission of Russian gas) would decapitalise Bulgartransgaz and there would be a strong negative reaction in Europe. Then the government loudly denied it. Today they seem to be realising the damage they are causing themselves."

Bulgartransgaz's debt is already over 250 million BGN and cannot be written off the company's balance sheet - no revenue will come to the budget from the transmission fee, Radev further said.

"Bulgaria is already being pointed to as an unreliable partner and Hungary will in all likelihood take us to the EU court, and this is the same Hungary that is our ally and partner. The same Hungary with which, just two weeks ago, during my visit there, thanks to friendship and good work, an agreement was signed that makes Bulgaria an important factor in the supply of liquefied natural gas in Europe," he said.

Radev described as farcical the finance minister's interview with the Financial Times in which Assen Vassilev said that the purpose of the transmission fee was to make supplies more expensive and to make it unprofitable to import Russian gas to Hungary.

The President participates in the celebration dedicated to 110 years since the establishment of the Union of Bulgarian Writers. The celebrations, which mark the anniversary of the founding of the creative association, are being held under the patronage of the head of state.