site.btaPM Radev Says There Will Be No Mechanical Cuts in State Administration, It Serves Interest of Bulgarian People and Business

Prime Minister Rumen Radev said there would be no "mechanical" staff cuts in the state administration, stressing that the government would first carry out a detailed analysis before undertaking any reforms. "The state administration serves the interests of both citizens and businesses. It must work quickly and efficiently, and these are the criteria by which we will carry out this reform," Radev told journalists in Parliament on Friday.

Asked about security protection for GERB leader Boyko Borissov, the Prime Minister said he would not interfere in the work of the specialized commission responsible for such decisions.

"There are experts there who assess all facts and circumstances, including submitted signals and threats. As far as I know, they have reviewed all signals so far and concluded that they are not sufficiently substantiated," he said.

Commenting on the Turkish energy company Botas, Radev said more information would be available after Bulgarian representatives returned from talks. He added that the Turkish side had also made requests which Bulgaria would examine.

On the proposed special tribunal concerning Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the Prime Minister said Bulgaria remained part of the EU’s common foreign and security policy decisions but also had the right to its own opinion.

"In my opinion, such a tribunal is effective when a state has been defeated, capitulated and its leader captured. These conditions do not currently exist," Radev said.

Asked why one of the government's most Eurosceptic figures, Ivo Hristov, had been tasked with organizing the Eurovision Song Contest, Radev replied that Europe needed "a solid dose of Euroscepticism" in order to survive in the modern world.

"I think it is high time for Europe to start acting on the basis of common sense and a realistic assessment of what is happening both within Europe and around us," the Prime Minister added.