site.btaParliamentary Majority Supports Merger of Security Services, CC-DB Floor Co-leader Atanasov Says

The Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) coalition has prepared a draft law to create a unified intelligence service, merging the State Agency for National Security and the Military Intelligence Service into one structure, CC-DB floor co-leader Atanas Atanasov told Nova TV on Tuesday. Atanasov specified that the proposal has the support of GERB and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF).

"We propose to create a unitary intelligence service. This is the function of the state - to monitor foreign risks and threats, they should be met from one place. Unfortunately, our [security] services often scout on each other. There have been cases where the two intelligence services have different views on the same issue," Atanasov stressed.

He explained that the Council of Ministers is responsible for maintaining order and security in the country. "Trust between the prime minister, the government and the directors of the [security] services is extremely important. If there is no trust - work cannot be done effectively. And in this case, the majority is saying there is no trust in these services," Atanasov also said.

He said that the proposal envisages the creation of a single intelligence service with a single leadership, but with an autonomous Military Intelligence Service as part of it.

Later on Tuesday, MRF MP Delyan Peevski said that MRF supports the security services’ unification. He said that preliminary talks had been held on the issue, adding that the talks had presented amendments that envisage the heads of the security services to be elected by parliament rather than appointed by presidential decree.