President Radev: The new government's course is to push Bulgaria closer to the war

"The course of the new government is to push Bulgaria closer and closer to the war. I do not think it is appropriate for politicians with modest electoral support to speak and make such serious commitments on behalf of Bulgaria. It is obvious that there is tension between me and the government," President Rumen Radev said on June 23.

In his words, the main duty of any government is to guarantee the security and peace of mind of the Bulgarian citizens.

"The fact that the war is being fought several hundred kilometres away from us should not make us calm because the fighting is escalating and apparently some politicians do not realise the depth of the problem. They look at this war as if they were in a theatre and have made themselves comfortable among the audience in the delusive belief that they will remain mere spectators," the President added.

According to him, it is in the interest not only of Bulgaria, but also of Europe that the fighting ceases and all possible ways to restore dialogue and peace talks be explored, and not fuel this conflict with new weapons.

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"Anyone who has responsibilities and ambitions in the field of security and defence should know well and adhere to the Constitution and the Law on Defence and Armed Forces, which categorically regulate that the President is the Commander-in-Chief both in wartime and in peacetime," Rumen Radev said.

He stressed that foreign policy is a shared responsibility of the institutions that represent Bulgaria and unilateral imposition of the executive's positions does not lead to sustainable solutions.

"The conflict in Ukraine is escalating, will become even bigger and will grow, so I call for a sober assessment of our country's place and role," Rumen Radev said.

He expressed his expectation that his visit to Austria would be a step forward on the issue of Schengen for Bulgaria's possible accession in October, which, in his words, depended on how much the new government would benefit from the achievements of the caretaker cabinet.

"We must continue efforts to strengthen our external border and accelerate the process of Bulgaria’s membership to Schengen. Chancellor Nehammer is a strong supporter of Bulgaria in the fight against illegal migration. The 1 October deadline for Schengen accession is entirely realistic. I am confident that Mark Rutte will keep his promises," Rumen Radev further said and urged the government to take more care of the Bulgarian armed forces, rather than those of others.

According to him, the tension was already evident when the new government was structured.

"When there was naivety in abundance, but important things were missing - a coalition agreement, a governance programme and a preliminary agreement on the second echelon of power - the deputy ministers and regional governors. Solving these issues will be very difficult against the background of the current problems and tasks," Rumen Radev further said.

The Head of State went on a two-day visit to Austria at the invitation of Austrian Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer. The two will hold a meeting in Vienna.