NEWS

 

 

President Rumen Radev's address to the nation and the 49th National Assembly

 

 

Mr Speaker of the National Assembly,

Mr Prime Minister,

Madam Vice-President,

Madam Mayor of Sofia Municipality,

Honourable Members of the Constitutional Court,

Ministers,

Members of the National Assembly,

Representatives of the Judiciary,

Presidents and Speakers of the National Assembly,

Mr Chief of Defence,

Madam Ombudsman,

Representatives of religious communities in the Republic of Bulgaria,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear compatriots,

 

I am honoured to be among the first to congratulate you, the elected representatives of the people, to whom the Bulgarian citizens entrusted the responsible mission of representing them in times of trial.

 

I convened the 49th National Assembly in the Holy Week with the expectations of the Bulgarian people for a different beginning of this National Assembly, in the hope of humility, dialogue and reason and in view of the pressing tasks of forming a government and overcoming the backlog of legislative activity. 

 

There is no doubt that the challenges facing this National Assembly are great, but there is also no doubt that the passage of the Budget Bill is a primary task. A complex equation is to be solved, which must guarantee both the income of Bulgarian citizens in times of crises and inflation, and the prospect of economic growth and preserving the long-term financial stability of the country. I very much hope, and rightly so, that the budget will be submitted by a regular government that is committed to and accountable for clear long-term policies. If that does not happen, the caretaker government will propose a budget, but the final say will be yours, especially on the part, I guess the most problematic part, of the budget deficit.

 

The 49th National Assembly has a crucial role to play. We all expect it to take long-delayed decisions as soon as possible, not only to resolve the political crisis, but also to defend the country's European perspective and our future as a democratic society.

 

I expect this National Assembly, unlike the previous ones, to support the European course set by the caretaker government by finally adopting the bills it has developed under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, which will not only attract significant financial resources, but will also accelerate the reforms needed to modernise the country. I expect you to support the bills tabled to 'unplug' our path to Schengen, to which we have achieved a clear time commitment, as well as bills to open the way to the full European integration of the country. 

 

I expect the National Assembly to prove that the judicial reform is a conscious, real goal for our development as a just and prosperous society, and not an abstract issue from a series of election campaigns.

 

I look forward to finally approaching national security with full responsibility and ending the delusion that replacing a few old tanks with other old tanks will solve the complex, deep problems of modernising the Armed Forces. I consider such an approach an escape from the responsibility imposed by the Constitution and the laws. It is also an evasion of responsibility to our allied obligations, which require the development of modern defence capabilities. True modernisation requires a serious, significant budget commitment; it requires a competent and comprehensive approach to rearmament, with concern for the people in the army, for their training and motivation. 

 

Certainly, the country still faces many domestic and foreign policy issues, on which I have repeatedly stated clear positions from this rostrum. But today Bulgarians are waiting to hear your positions. Because whatever the next government is, it can only be sustainable and effective if it is based on clear and shared principles, priorities and values.

 

Honourable Members of the National Assembly,

 

The election campaign is over but the expectations and the stakes for this National Assembly are enormous. The prosperity of the nation and the European future of Bulgaria depend on your decisions. We will not achieve these with slogans and incantations, but with actions, with putting aside personal and narrow party interests and with unity in the name of ambitious national goals. It is high time we work for ambitious national goals! 

 

I wish you every success in your highly responsible mission and a happy Easter! 

 

Good luck!

 

 

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