NEWS

The President took a firm stand against participation of the army in curtailing the migration pressure on the country’s borders

The Head of State Rosen Plevneliev expects 2015 to be one of hard work, of meaningful endeavours, of much less confrontation and of more political accord. The President made his first statement before journalists after he took part in the ritual for consecration of the military flags and the sacred banners of the Bulgarian army in front of the monument to the Unknown soldier in the capital. „The year 2015 should be a year of urgent reforms in those sectors which are in critical condition. I hope that by the end of the year all politicians will be able to say in a humble and constructive manner: we were useful to the people and we achieved something meaningful for the nation“, said the Head of State.

The President expressed hopes that the difficult years 2013 and 2014 will not repeat themselves. „I believe that the approach from the end of 2014 showed us another path, whereby we turn our backs to political confrontation, revenge, the struggle of everyone against everyone else, at all costs and at the cost of the people. I hope that in 2015 politicians will show they serve the people, that hold dear the long-term priorities of the country“, stressed the Head of State and made an appeal to the politicians to demonstrate their allegiance to the strategic documents, adopted with a total consensus – the National development programme „Bulgaria 2020“ and the Partnership agreement of the EC with Bulgaria up to 2020.

The President also said that 2015 marks the concurrence of the former and new programme period for utilization of EU funds. „It will be extremely irresponsible if we waste this year in which we have to utilize 5 billion BGN from the old programme period. The year may be a good one for the Bulgarian economy if we begin the execution of the envisaged programmes for utilization of European funds“, said the Head of State.  

The Supreme commander of the Armed forces was firmly against the participation of the Bulgarian army in guarding the borders as a measure for curtailing the migration pressure on our country, and defined the idea as „bad, to put it mildly“. „The suggestion that the army be positioned at the border is bad, unfeasible and will engender international image problems for Bulgaria“, warned the President. „I will not allow the Bulgarian army to stand at the border when there is no army on the other side“, was Rosen Plevneliev’s firm position and he defined as inadmissible for the border with an allied country to be guarded with army equipment. „The Ministry for Internal Affairs should find the strength and resources or in case it does not dispose of such they should be provided, so that it can deal with the situation at the border“, believes the President.

In a response to a question by a journalist the Head of State declared that he hoped the debate for the introduction of electronic, obligatory and majority voting be renewed as part of the effort to provide opportunity to millions of Bulgarians wherever in the world they may be to exercise their power of vote and to defend their views in a democratic manner. As regards the ideas for resumption of compulsory military service, the President underlined that it is necessary for such decisions to be taken in the most legitimate manner. The Head of State also said that in the year ahead the Presidential institution will be the host to a discussion of the problems of the Bulgarian army.