site.btaUPDATED GERB–UDF Would Support Difficult, Reform-oriented Decisions - Tomislav Donchev

GERB–UDF would support difficult decisions with a reform-oriented profile, said GERB deputy leader Tomislav Donchev during consultations with President Iliana Iotova ahead of the handing of the first exploratory mandate to form a government. 

Donchev noted that for GERB–UDF, the most important priorities are the budget and reducing deficit. This could be a priority shared by all political forces in Parliament, he said.

Donchev said that his party would do everything possible to improve the quality of governance.

"An experienced politician like you knows that short-term horizons in politics are very dangerous, as they usually result in all the energy and “steam” going into noise rather than into pragmatic actions with long-term horizons," Tomislav Donchev told Iotova. According to him, Bulgaria cannot afford a permanent course of increasing debt. After five years of budgetary voluntarism, the time has come for difficult decisions, the GERB deputy leader stressed. He called on politicians and those in power, through their actions in the National Assembly and the Council of Ministers, to de-escalate some of the political tensions and overcome divisions in Bulgarian society. According to modern political theory, the quality of governance depends not only on those in power but also on the work of the opposition, the MP added. 

GERB–UDF's representatives also pointed out that Bulgaria faces challenges beyond the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. It is regrettable that the previous National Assembly failed to gather sufficient majority to pass some of the reforms, Donchev said. The pace of the investment process must not be reduced in any way, because both the Recovery Plan and the operational programmes have deadlines, and if payments fall below target levels, funds are lost, he added. 

Donchev emphasized that during every “change of the guard,” the investment process slows down, which must not be allowed, as these are funds for municipalities, businesses, and citizens. "We will make efforts to propose draft legislation and new ideas that are important to us," he said, adding that he firmly believes tax incentives for companies investing in research and development should continue. 

Donchev outlined three options for the new governing majority: to maintain a deficit of 3% or above, to limit inefficient spending, or to raise taxes. In his view, however, none of these options is ideal. "As someone with Right-wing views, I would limit inefficient public spending, which does not mean social payments should suffer," the GERB deputy leader stressed, adding that automatic spending mechanisms should be removed. 

Measures to combat inflation should be approached intelligently, with targeted policies aimed at socially vulnerable groups, Tomislav Donchev added.

Raya Nazaryan said she was pleased that there is now a stable majority which has quickly fulfilled constitutional procedures - swiftly electing a National Assembly Chair and meeting expectations for stability, security, and confidence in the legislature. "I wish success to Mihaela Dotsova; I believe she will succeed and can count on my support," Nazaryan said. She stressed that they will not allow past bad practices and that there must be an opportunity to present a new face of the legislature. "We have participated in most initiatives under the Recovery Plan and will support sound decisions on judicial reform," she added. Regarding support for judicial reform, she noted it is important whether the majority will endorse proposals submitted by GERB–UDF. "We will also support long-term proposals that have full consensus within the professional community and will lead to real results, including the election of a new Supreme Judicial Council," Nazaryan emphasized. 

Yordanka Fandakova expressed hope that the modernization of Bulgarian education will continue very quickly. "We had our own initiatives, and I hope for full consensus on education and culture," she added.