site.btaPresidential Candidate Iotova Urges Budget Support for Bulgaria's Poorest

Presidential candidate Iliana Iotova called on Friday for the next budget to support Bulgaria's poorest and most vulnerable people as part of efforts to overcome poverty.

Speaking in Vratsa, Iotova said every effort must be made to lift Bulgaria out of poverty. Around 30% of the population lived in poverty, even though it was the 21st century and Bulgaria was an EU member, she said. The President's administration was working with the government and experts to find the best possible solutions before the budget was adopted, she added. She linked overcoming poverty to regional development, pointing to improved road infrastructure as a first step for northwestern Bulgaria.

Iotova said Bulgaria needed political unity, more dialogue and consensus. Years of political instability had wasted time and left a backlog of problems that now had to be addressed, she added.

Iotova also discussed the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Black Sea. She said Bulgaria needed "a strong voice of its own for peace on the international stage" and that war could not resolve the conflict. "We do not need war, and I truly want to be Bulgaria's leader and president for peace," Iotova said. She described the situation in the Black Sea as worrying and dangerous and called for security measures, including increased aerial and satellite surveillance and counter-drone systems.