site.btaInterior Minister Mitov Criticizes President Radev for "Divisive" Rhetoric on Unification Day

In an interview with Nova TV on Sunday, Interior Minister Daniel Mitov expressed disappointment that President Rumen Radev used Unification Day to deliver divisive messages, rather than promoting unity. “It is unfortunate that the President allows himself, even on a day celebrating the Unification, when we should be talking about unity, to step forward and divide us,” Mitov said. Responding to a question about a perceived "war” between the presidential administration and the government over appointments in the security sector, Mitov said that neither he nor his colleagues seek institutional conflict. “We are not the ones turning every opportunity into a chance to divide the nation,” he added.

In his address on Unification Day, Radev said that 140 years later, ”Bulgarians are once again complaining about derebeys [from Turkish - feudal lords], and the Great Powers are once again negotiating spheres of influence.” ”These are critical times, and we must acknowledge that there are political brokers willing to sell off our future in exchange for foreign approval, offering up our sovereignty, our treasury, even our identity,” he noted.

Mitov insisted that the President must respect the political legitimacy granted by the Bulgarian people through elections. “The parties in Parliament elect a government. That legitimate government is the executive authority in the country and the President is in no position to interfere. He is supposed to act as a unifier. Yes, he can offer criticism, but it should be supervisory in nature, not the rhetoric of an opposition leader,” Mitov said.

Commenting on the upcoming vote of no confidence, Mitov said that there is a minority government. The coalition partners do not hold a majority in parliament. Any vote of no confidence could be fatal for the Cabinet, he noted. “But our job is to set clear, transparent goals, present them to Parliament, and whoever wants to support us, let them do so,” Mitov said. Asked whether they felt dependent on MRF-New Beginning leader Delyan Peevski, Mitov answered in the negative. “When no one is stopping me from pursuing my goals, I cannot feel dependent or anything else,” he said.

Mitov also commented on the recent appointment of Miroslav Rashkov as Secretary General of the Interior Ministry. “He is a professional from the Interior Ministry. He has held the position for a year. I have worked with him; he performs well, is well-known in the structure, and has the ability to build a strong team that can fulfill the Interior Ministry’s objectives,” Mitov said. “As always, the familiar narrative appears - that he is Peevski’s man,“ he added.

In late August, Radev signed a decree officially appointing Rashkov as Secretary General of the Interior Ministry.