SPEECHES AND STATEMENTS

Statement made by President Rosen Plevneliev at the meeting of the Consultative Council for National Security devoted to the risks and threats to the security and stability in this country posed by the political and social crisis

Good morning. Welcome to the presidential institution.

The topic of today’s meeting of the Consultative Council for National Security (CCNS)  has to do with the risks and threats to the security and stability in this country posed by the political and social crisis we are in.  Deputy Prime Minister and outgoing Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov and the chairman of the State Agency for National Security Konstantin Kazakov will deliver reports.

I also expect to hear the opinion of deputy prime minister and outgoing Finance Minister Simeon Djankov, and I will ask him to express his opinion, not deliver a report, on the state of the financial system, the economy and the country’s budget and its implementation.

The convening of an extraordinary meeting of the Consultative Council for National Security was prompted by the rising tension in the country and the growing need to adopt the appropriate measures to overcome the crisis. The demands of the protesters are escalating and they have a great distrust in everything.  The people say they are against the political system, the parties, the institutions, corruption, the monopolies, the oligarchy, the electricity bills, the low incomes, unemployment and many other things. On Sunday about 150,000 Bulgarians in over 40 cities across the country took part in the nationwide protests. A serious public discontent is accumulated in the sectors of healthcare, education and the environment.

We should not allow the foundations of the state and the state institutions to be undermined. Unfortunately, before the protests were staged, the National Assembly had a very low public approval rating. I think it was about 6 percent before the onset of the protests.  We need to act responsibly. The situation is complicated not only in Bulgaria, but also in Europe, politically, economically and financially. Although each country in Europe has its own specifics, Europe's overall economic prospects for 2013 are not good.

Although the government has resigned, it bears the full responsibility for the governance of the state until a new government is appointed.  It should put as many efforts as possible into preserving civil peace, averting any further escalation of the tension, ensuring the stability in this country.  The government should meet public expectations and fulfill the assumed commitments. For instance, immediate inspections of the Electricity Distribution Companies and the State Energy and Water Regulatory Commission should be conducted, publicity of the signed contracts should be ensured, the measures necessary to reduce the electricity rates by 8% should be taken. The people are already receiving the electricity bills for the next month. The bills for February are yet to be received, and a big portion of the population is not aware what they should pay so the regulators must provide clear and precise information. It is now that we need a strong functioning regulator and I do hope the State Energy and Water Regulatory Commission will perform its tasks efficiently and responsibly despite the fact that its members have resigned.

At this meeting of the Consultative Council for National Security we will seek consensus on the possible measures to overcome the crisis. All of us should put joint efforts into finding the way to achieve several main objectives. We should offer strong resistance to any attempts to use the social pressure for political, corporate or group purposes. We should live up to public expectations. We should strengthen the statehood to ensure the sustainable functioning of the institutions. We should guarantee institutional stability of the state – economic, financial, organizational.

We should fully realize that the severe social and economic crisis poses challenges to the country and national security. There are real risks of undermining the statehood and disrupting the normal functioning of the institutions and of mounting social tension, as well as risks of extremist acts and violence.

After the political consultations I held last week, it became clear that the parliamentary represented parties will turn down the mandate for forming a government.  The parliamentary group of GERB already did so. I must lay the emphasis on the fact that the parliamentary represented parties should continue working until the National Assembly is adjourned. They must adopt the most urgent pieces of legislation, which will provide a caretaker government the chance to overcome the crisis and will prevent any further aggravation of the situation and exacerbating the problems we are facing.

Of course, the real policies which should respond to the protesters’ fair and effective demands, those that can be met, and those which are effective and fair, the real policies, the answer will come from a legitimate National Assembly, one elected by the people. And it is crystal clear that if we abide by the Constitution, as expected, we are heading toward a prompt and responsible preparation and holding of a general election.

Today I expect the members of the Consultative Council for National Security to approach responsibly the measures that need to be adopted by the state and the political parties for easing the tension in the country and tackling the gravest problems raised by the protesting Bulgarian citizens. The political parties must categorically state that they are working to ease the tension. All their actions must be directed toward strengthening the democratic processes, the stability of the institutions and preserving civil peace.

I call on all parties to consider the risks the state is facing, to hold a debate and make the necessary decisions. I expect the members of the executive branch of power to inform the CCNS members about the real state and development of the processes in this country and submit an analysis of the risks and threats to the national stability and security.

The competent institutions must say whether the suspicions of a purposeful provocation of violence among the protesters are grounded. We will put efforts into reaching a consensus and guarantees whereby all actions of the parliamentary presented political parties and all other institutions will be directed at strengthening the democratic processes, the stability of the institutions and preserving civil peace in the state.

I also expect that at the current meeting of the CCNS we will agree on and support specific measures that the outgoing government is to take, as well as those that the 41^st  National Assembly will take in the remaining days it will function, to preserve civil peace and avert a further escalation of tension. I expect a constructive and responsible approach and debate by all that will ensure public security and the rule of law in the state.

Thank you for being together. I would like to thank the media as well.