site.btaDSB Chair Atanassov Describes Rumen Radev as "Political Rival"

Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB) Chair Atanas Atanassov said that “in the person of citizen Rumen Radev” the party has a very serious competitor, stressing that Radev will be their political rival. Speaking on bTV on Sunday, Atanassov emphasized that his party “finds no grounds whatsoever for cooperation with Radev or with whatever will be built around him.” DSB is part of the Democratic Bulgaria coalition and the Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria parliamentary group.

Atanassov highlighted that Radev “to this day refuses to explain with whom and how he intends to run in elections, but his orientation is quite clearly visible.”

“He talks about fighting oligarchy, about fighting inequality. Yes, inequality is a serious problem in Bulgaria, but it is a product of oligarchy. Here I want to ask which oligarchy Rumen Radev will be fighting,” the DSB leader said.

Atanassov also commented on the signing of a coalition agreement with Continue the Change and the Yes, Bulgaria party for the upcoming elections.

“The fact that one political force – let’s say in this case Continue the Change – has convened its national body and taken certain decisions with which to enter negotiations is entirely their right. Why not. We in DSB also took a decision before them; we simply did not announce it because we believed it was wise not to make noise in the public space. But we need to sit down at the table, take our decisions and appear at these elections in a consolidated manner,” he said. Atanassov added that the upcoming elections are extremely important for Bulgaria’s path, because there is a risk that “some may try to push us back to the East.”