SPEECHES AND STATEMENTS

Statements Made by President Rosen Plevneliev and Vice-president Margarita Popova at a Press Conference Held on the Occasion of the End of the Second Year since they Took Office - Part I

President Rosen Plevneliev:

Good morning. The first two years since I took office were marked by extremely great challenges which we have encountered for the first time in our newest democratic history, namely: the most severe world economic and financial crisis we have been hit by in the past 80 years, the most severe crisis in the European Union since it was established – banks and countries went bankrupt, fundamental EU values were called into question; there was a combination of crises in Bulgaria, including a political, demographic, economic and social one; a wave of protests swept over the country and the world; a terror act was committed in our homeland; there was a strong migration pressure and the public trust in the institutions was lowest; the most serious clash and revenge between political leaders.

2013 was yet another difficult year for the households and the business circles.  Recession and the crisis in Europe and Bulgaria have been going on for already a sixth year in a row. The low incomes and high unemployment rate, the ongoing scandals politicians are embroiled in, the many-year unprincipled clash and the lack of a constructive approach put the citizens in a difficult situation, jeopardized the functioning of the institutions and brought to the fore the lack of a uniting aim and ideas about Bulgaria’s development. We saw attempts to provoke the clash not between ideas, but between citizens and buses, as well as attempts to artificially impose a division of society. It was a year of mass protests, three governments and two parliaments and a strong migration pressure.

2013 was undoubtedly the year of the civil society in Bulgaria. The actions of the citizens showed that they are full of a new creative energy. Today the civil energy is everywhere and it depends on each one of us to use it constructively and to the benefit of the nation. The protests imposed the debate about the justice in the state and the public sensitivity to the politicians’ actions. We, Bulgarians, are tolerant people and no matter what our political views and differences are, we would like to live together in a democratic, fair and law-governed state. The people’s demand for morality in politics may have come a bit late after so much disillusionment in the transition years, however today and in the future it will undoubtedly be present.

The most serious deficit, the most serious problem we will have to solve is the lack of trust. The low public trust hinders the functioning of the institutions, undermines the basis on which the state was built and fuels some of the most repugnant phenomena in the contemporary world which we witnessed throughout the year –xenophobia, pseudo-patriotism, blatant populism, revenge, using the language of hatred and political engineering, including calling into question the European direction and democratic pillars of society, as well as the basic national values such as tolerance, the ethno-religious peace, respect for the different person and others.

Although there may be a lot of pessimists in Bulgaria, we should not be passive. Poverty is neither a diagnosis, nor a verdict. The fact that Bulgaria is the poorest EU state does not mean that this will last forever. The more competitive and productive we become, the quicker the incomes will grow. The more investments and good business environment we develop, the more jobs will be created. No one else will give us richness – we will have to work for it alone by looking ahead and solving the nation’s problems.  And the people clearly pointed out the problems – the lack of justice and morality, poverty, unemployment, inefficient law administration system, corruption, dependent media. Not only guaranteeing transparency and predictability of the public environment are necessary, but also jobs and incomes. And these are created if reforms for ensuring competitiveness, growth and a better business environment are conducted.

We all know that the engines of growth are export, investments and consumption. Because of the crisis, consumption and investments have been low for already a sixth year in a row and some inconsiderate actions of politicians may additionally dissuade investors and consumers. It is only the export that stimulated the growth, albeit low, of the economy, which was worth 0.5 percent in 2013. Bulgarian foreign policy ever more purposefully and efficiently promotes diversification and helps Bulgarian production to get into new markets.

Financial discipline, the culture of stability, preserving the currency board until the euro is adopted as a legal tender, keeping low levels of national debt and budget deficit are important for the stability and growth and are a strategic priority for Bulgaria. There should be complete continuity regarding this priority. Bulgaria is a small country, does not have natural resources, our future depends on the good education, knowledge and competence of the next generations, as well as on the chances the institutions have to guarantee rules and order for all, to function efficiently and in a non-partisan manner and to develop the national priorities.

Market economy is not only one of the conditions promoting economic growth and bringing public prosperity, but also a fundamental basis of democratic development. Corruption, the oligarchy and the monopolies make the functioning of market economy in the country more difficult. The bad practices related to these phenomena hamper investments and entrepreneurship. Moreover, they erode the fundamentals of the democratic political representation. We need efficient and independent regulatory bodies as well as an efficient and functioning law administration system. It is the fundamentals of any democratic law-governed state. The law administration system is entitled to be a guarantee of justice. Politicians should not command and make appointments and dismissals in the judiciary, they should create an environment so that it can function independently and make decisions in compliance with law and adhering to principles.    

Politicians today should serve the people’s interests, not their own. Today almost half of the Bulgarians face the risk of being poor and expelled from society.  One million and a half Bulgarians left the country after the communist regime collapsed. In 2013 we held a negative record of the smallest number of babies born. Although we blame ourselves for the façade democracy, for the distorted market, for the unfair transition, we should also realize how much we have achieved in the transition years. 24 years ago Bulgaria was a communist dictatorship, we had no right to voice our opinions, no freedom of movement, no freedom and private initiative. Locked behind the iron curtain, we were isolated and closed. And after the totalitarian state went bankrupt, Bulgaria turned out to be totally bankrupt.

Today, despite all the flaws Bulgaria has, it is a democratic state. It belongs to the most progressive community of states – the European Union and we are the poorest member of the richest family. Today Bulgaria is different, a lot more advanced and developed. We took a good path and achieved much. Currently we have to build up our achievements and follow the path and direction set by the Apostle, by the leaders and representatives of the Bulgarian National Revival. We should be equal with the other European peoples and our republic should be pure and sacred. This is our ideal, goal and direction. In this respect the people are united as one. We should not allow anyone to divert us and question the sense and path we have taken because it is unity that lends meaning to our life as a community and makes us a nation.  

In order to attain this ideal we should heal Bulgarian democracy by proving to ourselves and the world that we are worthy and have strength to change our fatherland and to guarantee a democratic statehood which is efficient, respectable and fair. Therefore the state should support its civil society. The hand the citizens have lend to us in support of changes and reforms is a historical chance which I spoke about throughout the year and which I hope will not become a historical disgrace if the civil energy is wasted and the politicians fail to change anything.

2013 was the year of civil energy. This energy will help us make 2014 a year of responsible decisions. In the past year an attempt was made to create a couple of myths which serve cloak-and-dagger arrangements and political engineering in the country.

The first myth – Bulgaria has no ideal, goal and direction. It is not true. The Bulgarian patriots have long set the direction and formulated the goal for a pure and sacred republic and for being equal with the other European peoples. We have not attained this ideal yet and we should follow this path.

The second myth – we do not have a long-term vision and plan. It is not true. In December 2012 the Council of Ministers adopted a National program for development “Bulgaria 2020” and the President played a decisive role in the first year of his term in office by organizing a lot of councils, discussions and debates on implementing this program in a nationally responsible and legitimate way. I voiced my clear intention to work so as to ensure agreement on the long-term priorities and I have perseveringly done that for already two years. The Partnership Agreement with the European Commission for the 2014-2020 period is due to be signed. In order to secure a consensus on the country’s long-term priorities and bring them in line with the European until 2020, I will convene a Consultative Council for National Security in February on the topic of “Funding the strategic priorities of the Republic of Bulgaria through the EU mechanisms and the Partnership Agreement with the European Commission for the 2014-2020 period.”

A third myth – the political class in Bulgaria should be swept away, a radical change of the system is necessary, a restart of the state and lots of other well- sounding solutions. This is a particularly dangerous myth. The solution for Bulgaria does not lie in new revolutions, messiahs and populists, but in the simple word functioning institutions. Bulgaria does not need politicians who promise everything and are good public speakers, but politicians who strengthen and develop the institutions of the democratic state. Functioning institutions should be the top priority for Bulgaria. Because the politicians’ and people’s ideas can materialize only through the institutions. The solutions are usually clear and extremely simple. We know that it is not so important who is in power, but what they will do.  Whoever wants to strengthen democracy should develop the institutions. Whoever wants to fight corruption should introduce e-government and bring to light public fund spending and public tenders. Whoever wants to fight the energy mafia, should launch a national program for energy efficiency.

A fourth myth – the President splits the nation. If I were dismissing and ignoring the problems the people find relevant, I would be a president who splits the nation. If I supported definite political entities and sided with their attacks and counter-attacks, I would be a president who splits the nation. I did exactly the opposite thing. I supported not just any party, but the civil society in its fair demands and I will continue to do it. The President unites the nation, not the power holders or any party. A principled and transparent policy is necessary to this effect. Any commitment that I took on way back during the election campaign, is still mandatory for me: I impose a veto only on the basis of arguments, not in order to be in anyone’s way; no cloak-and-dagger arrangements are made and coalition negotiations conducted in the President’s Office; I display an open and correct attitude to the governments; although I support good decisions, I also point to mistakes; I refuse to enter the spiral of political clashes, I do not get involved in fights, I do not abuse of my powers granted by the constitution; I do not manipulate and I am not a demagogue and I seek solutions and a dialogue with everyone. This is how I understand my role of a unifier.

Today many politicians are tempted to resort to revenge and resistance at any cost. Such an approach is not beneficial to uniting the nation. My position as President is to support the active civil society and the right of the Bulgarians to point out the problems in their own country and to demand that they be solved. The problems will not be solved with a magic wand. However, it is important for us to set the direction of finding solutions to, not of exacerbating the problems. Both during the wave of protests in February and those in June I made the only possible and correct decision for a president who is directly elected by the people – to listen to the voice of the people and to support the civil society in its fair demands.

In February I was the only politician who went to the protesters, invited them to the President’s Office, initiated public councils with their participation. I drew the attention to the fair demands for transparency in the energy sector, for taking anti-monopoly measures, for more transparency, for an efficient fight against the monopolies, mafia and corruption. In February and March I organized consultations, I convened the Consultative Council for National Security, I made a statement in parliament, I pointed out how important it is to provide solutions, I asked for urgent measures to be taken, such as amendments in the energy law, so that the State Energy and Water Regulatory Commission may become a non-, partisan, independent and efficient regulatory body.

Today, one year later, the only thing that has changed in the State Energy and Water Regulatory Commission is that its leadership was replaced six times in a year. The State Energy and Water Regulatory Commission changed its leadership six times in a year, nothing else, no reform, although the people demanded it and staged protests in support of that reform. The State Energy and Water Regulatory Commission is as dependent on the government and is as partisan as it has always been. The energy sector continues to be non-transparent and unreformed.

The caretaker government brought to light 200 agreements in the energy sector in three months. However, the next government failed to follow the example, unfortunately. New loans are taken out to implement energy projects which cost tens of billions, though there is no strategy or public debate on the issue. The most sensible priority in the energy sector, namely energy efficiency, has been called into question. The cheapest energy is the saved energy. The energy lobby will profit from the billions spent in the energy sector. The whole nation will benefit from the saved billions. The only way to have the people’s electricity bills drop not by 5, but by 50 percent is to develop a National program for energy efficiency and sanitization of buildings.  Then the Bulgarians will become richer, the towns and villages more comfortable. Tens of thousands of new jobs will be created in small and medium-sized enterprises throughout the country and the National Energy Company will become stronger.

The caretaker government was the only one to take efficient measures against the oligarchy in Bulgaria by adopting rules for a transparent management and diversification of the public funds. Today these rules are not obeyed by everyone. The caretaker government performed its functions well and calmed down the nation. It was an island of stability between two storms – the one at the end of GERB’s term in office and the one at the beginning of the current government’s term in office, related to the scandalous appointment of the chief of DANS that provoked civil protests that marked the second half of the year. The protests proved that there is an active civil society in Bulgaria which demands a change toward more morality in politics, toward an open and responsible governance style. The caretaker government was a really independent and expert government and it proved that when work is done in a transparent and open manner and when clear priorities are set, a lot can be done in a short period of time.

The public councils established at the caretaker government became an efficient bridge between the institutions and the people. We introduced the election board as an innovative mechanism. All these measures are an attempt to impose functioning mechanisms to guarantee civil participation in decision-making so that the people recognize their state and work to its benefit.

The first national referendum in Bulgaria’s newest democratic history was conducted in 2013. Despite the contradictory assessments of the referendum, I believe it sets the correct direction. Today, when the major problem lies in the low public trust, we have to rely on these basic tools of democracy which ensure maximum legitimacy.  It is good to ask the sovereign, especially when we have the instruments and the mechanisms to do it. In the next years, different elections will be conducted in Bulgaria – European, local, presidential, parliamentary. It will be extremely beneficial to our young democracy if we consider each election as an opportunity to consult the people whose trust we are trying to win. Direct democracy is a powerful tool which we must actively use in the future.

The political dynamics in 2013 left the reforms off the agenda of the institutions. I hope we will overcome this deficiency because it is not the temporary decisions that will facilitate the progress of the state, but the results of the strategic priorities which should be consistently upheld. It is important that we resume conducting a lot of delayed reforms such as those in the administration, pension sector, healthcare sector, education sector, the water sector and the “Security” sector on which we reached a consensus in 2012.

Today the European Union is facing the challenge of populism and radical nationalism. The elections for European Parliament to be held in May 2014 will be of key importance for the development of the EU. Bulgaria has always defended its pro-European orientation. I believe it will confirm it at the next elections for European Parliament.

In 2013 as Head of State I made 21 visits abroad. The schedule for 2014 is also busy, which is important for Bulgaria’s integration in a quickly changing world in which no one is waiting for us. In 2013 I took part in important international forums together with President Barroso and Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament, we commemorated the day of Europe. Together with the President of Austria and the EU Commissioner on Regional Development we debated what unites Europe. I delivered a key speech in UNESCO before representatives of 192 nations on the occasion of the feat of the Bulgarian civil society and the saving of the Bulgarian Jews during World War Two. On the same occasion, together with the President of Israel we opened an exhibition in Brussels and with US Vice-president Joe Biden we delivered key speeches in Washington at the commemoration of the 100 anniversary of the Anti-defamation League – the most influential world organization for tolerance. Bulgaria was given the honor for the first time to participate together with the presidents from the Arraiolos group in Krakow in a forum and we are expecting an invitation for permanent membership in this format.

The Presidents of Serbia, Croatia, Prince Edward, the Vice-president of the European Commission, a lot of prime ministers, ministers were my guests. We pursued an active foreign policy aimed at reorientation of exports, the search for new markets, the establishment of partnership and friendship in the region and across the world. By engaging in an active political dialogue and by pursuing a policy of good-neighborly relations and friendship, we strengthened our relations with the Balkan countries, which have never before been better, nor have the prospects for peace, prosperity and development in the region been brighter. The year was marked by Croatia’s EU accession, which is a great success and positive development for all of us. The historical breakthrough in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and fixing the date for the beginning of Serbia’s negotiations for EU accession, which Bulgaria provided assistance for, is strategically important for the peace and prosperity in the Balkans.

There is one more thing we should do in the region in 2014. We are pooling efforts to ensure that Albania receives the status of a candidate-state, that Monte Negro’s negotiations on EU accession would be successful, that a good-neighborly agreement with Macedonia is signed, and also that an Agreement for stabilization and association is signed between the EU and Kosovo. Bulgaria is an important factor for the positive development of South-Eastern Europe and for the stabilization and the European development of the Western-Balkan countries. We have adopted a very responsible attitude to this mission and we are doing our best to ensure good-neighborly relations, European development and prosperity in the Balkans. We use the mechanisms of foreign policy to reach cohesion and integration of the road, railroad, gas, energy-transit, river and other trans-national networks because this is what the people expect us to do. The construction of the strategically important infrastructure projects in Bulgaria is under way. We are working hard toward the diversification of the country’s energy sources through the construction of inter-connectors of the gas transit system and through concessions for gas production in Bulgaria’s Black Sea shelf.  The inter-connector established between the gas transit grid of Bulgaria and Greece is strategically important for the country as it ensures the connection with the TAP gas pipeline along which Azerbaijani gas will be transported to Europe.  

I support the construction of the South Stream pipeline given that the project meets the requirements of the European legislation and that it is implemented in compliance with the European rules and market prices.

People escaping from the evil of war in Syria came to our country. They have been seeking help and protection. As a tolerant and civilized people, we have adopted a responsible attitude to this challenge. Despite the attempts to reap political dividends even from this human drama and to rely on people’s natural fears, the Bulgarian people yet again demonstrated their ability to be compassionate and provide gratuitous help.

I held a Consultative Council for National Security on the topic of refugees. The council showed that only by displaying a responsible attitude to that nation’s problems, we can get out of the spiral of constant political clashes. Unfortunately, refugees are a topic that we will hardly manage to evade in 2013 and therefore it is important to continue adopting the approach of seeking a reasonable solution.

In the past year I convened four meetings of the Consultative Council for National Security and three of them ended with reaching a consensus. The meeting held on 5 February condemned as an inadmissible and criminal act the attack against Mr. Dogan and approved a program for optimizing and increasing the capacities of the National Guarding Service. The Meeting of the Consultative Council for National Security held on 26 February adopted a resolution which stated that the 41st National Assembly cannot continue functioning and an early general election should be scheduled. The meeting of the Consultative Council for National Security held on 20 November reached an agreement on securing the organizational, functional and resource capacities of the state to cope with the stronger migration pressure.

We actively participated in the reforms in NATO and the processes of making decisions to acquire new capacities and efficiently manage the resources. We are responsibly and successfully conducting missions abroad. We are working to ensure that a NATO center for crises management is established and further developed in Bulgaria.

We continued and developed long-year initiatives of the Presidential institution such as “the Bulgarian Christmas,” “Support a wish”, the mobile reception room of the President and the John Atanassov award. We further developed the initiatives launched during the first year of our term in office, namely – the Month of the political consultations, the Day of the open doors, the Youth vision for the development of Bulgaria and the Council of presidents. I supported and encouraged many initiatives related to donation activities, volunteering activities and the family traditions of the responsible government. In 2013 I launched a new initiative called “Dialogue with the citizens” the aim of which was to enable the civil society to define the basic problems the nation is facing and their solutions.  I will continue to rely on this approach for finding the appropriate solutions by holding dialogues and putting forward arguments.

Only together can we make progress and ensure a better future for our children.  I would like to thank all who are together with us today.