President Radev about Asen Vassilev: Bulgaria is clearly becoming narrow to the obsession with greatness of some people

President Rumen Radev described as a “farce” the statement made a few days ago by the Minister of Finance Asen Vassilev to the German newspaper “Welt” that the main purpose of the new energy contribution is to make supplies more expensive and make it unprofitable to import Russian gas to Hungary and Austria.

Here is what Rumen Radev said:

Just a month ago, I warned that the new “energy contribution” would decapitalize Bulgartransgaz and cause a strong negative reaction in Europe. Then the rulers vociferously denied. The debt of “Bulgartransgaz” is already over 250 million, and Hungary filed a claim against Bulgaria in the European Commission.

While parliament and government are playing for power, at the same time a number of processes with a strong destructive charge are taking place. In practice, we are ruining our energy and economy ourselves, cutting our European perspective, sabotaging our own national priorities. The majority and everyone in this parliament must clearly realize that power is, above all, a conscious responsibility to the citizens, not a gambling inducement.

The managers seem to be only now beginning to realize the extent of the damage they are causing, and that is why the panic measures were taken to save at least the bleeding of the state-owned company. But that doesn’t solve the main problem. The debt of “Bulgartransgaz” cannot be written off from the company’s balance sheet. The imagined billions from the contribution will not enter the budget. Bulgaria is already pointing the finger as an unreliable partner, and Hungary will most likely appeal to the Court of Justice of the European Union. Just two months ago, during my visit to Hungary, thanks to the friendship and good work with both President Katalin Novak and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, an agreement was signed that made Bulgaria an important factor in the supply of liquefied gas to Europe. At this moment, with their actions, the rulers in Bulgaria are ruining this as well.

The farce is complete with the statement of the Bulgarian Minister of Finance to Western media that the main purpose of the new energy contribution is to make supplies more expensive and make it unprofitable to import Russian gas for Hungary and Austria. Bulgaria is clearly getting close to the obsession with greatness of some people who are already trying to dictate the decisions of sovereign states, of our allies and partners, on whom we rely for Schengen as well. I strongly hope that the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Foreign Policy Committee in the Parliament are aware of what is happening.

All analyzes and calculations show that a hasty removal of the derogation for the import of crude oil from Russia leads to an unjustified risk of a fuel shortage and a spike in prices in Bulgaria. Apparently there are rotation dates in the assembly calendar, but only they are interested in those dates. There are other dates in the calendar of Bulgarian citizens – for pending bills and for covering expenses. Once again, I will appeal: a government has a future only when it is led first by the interests of the Bulgarian citizens.

The case with the chairman of DANS is over. Today I sent an official refusal to the Prime Minister’s request for his release, because the reasons do not comply with the law. Moreover, today it is clear from the Security Council of the Council of Ministers that the government justifies its decisions with the analyzes and positions of the National Security Agency. This once again shows that the main reason for the requested resignation is not in professionalism or in violation of the law by the chairman of DANS, but in the scenario from the recording of the party meeting of the ruling party.