NEWS

Rumen Radev: Fighting Corruption on National Level Is the Main Commitment a Government Can Take to Safeguard Democracy

The President delivers a national statement and participates in a leadership-level panel at the Third Summit for Democracy

Fighting corruption on national level is the main commitment a government can take to safeguard democracy. The national anti-corruption policies represent a crucial guarantee for national security, stability and sovereignty, President Rumen Radev said in a national statement during the third edition of the Summit for Democracy hosted by the Republic of Korea.

The forum is mottoed Democracy for Future Generations. At the invitation of the President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, the Bulgarian Head of State Rumen Radev took part in the Summit with a national statement and a video conferencing participation in a plenary panel of leaders at the level of heads of state and government.

In the national statement, the head of state pointed out that safeguarding democracy is impossible, unless we convince our societies that it works for them; that this is the one form of government, where every human life matters equally, and where human dignity represents a true value. The President stressed that in line with the national commitments, in 2023 Bulgaria undertook key legislative amendments to reinforce the independence of its national judiciary, and to strengthen the accountability of the Public Prosecution office. "The adoption of these new legal tools, however, represents only the necessary first step. We ought to remain aware, that fighting corruption is a long-term priority and this topic should remain pertinent," the head of state added.

Rumen Radev also participated in a plenary panel of heads of state and government chaired by the President of the Republic of Korea Yoon Suk Yeol and dedicated to technology, elections and misinformation. The presidents of Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Botswana, Gambia, as well as the prime ministers of Japan and Canada also took part in the discussion. The Bulgarian president stated that the development of modern information and communication technologies expands our economic potential but also carries certain threats to democracies especially in the context of the current multiple geopolitical challenges and the general destabilization of the international legal order. I believe, the President added, that in order to make our society more resilient to disinformation, we need to enhance public trust in democratic institutions, to increase digital literacy and to secure social inclusion for vulnerable social groups.

Rumen Radev outlined the legislative initiatives at the European and national level for the protection of media freedom and the right to information, adding that bringing the relevant national regulations and practices in line with the European Media Freedom Act should be a high priority for us in the next months.

"Strengthening our democracy does not require only legislative measures. It should also rely on a comprehensive strategy to overcome poverty and social exclusion, which includes raising the educational level of vulnerable social groups and improving the quality of accessible education," President Radev concluded.