site.btaDeputy PM Zafirov: Forces in Parliament Want to Divert Bulgaria from Its European Path

There are forces in Parliament that want to divert Bulgaria from its European path, Deputy Prime Minister and Bulgarian Socialist Party Chair Atanas Zafirov told Bulgaria on Air, quoted by the party's press centre on Sunday.

Zafirov predicted that when people start feeling the benefits of the euro area in their pockets, everything will fall into place.

“After adopting the euro, the next big goal will be our accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), but the big goals - economic growth, raising incomes and welfare, fighting the demographic crisis and regional disparities - require long and hard work,” Zafirov said.

He added that the assessment of Bulgaria's readiness for the euro area is given by the European partners such as the European Commission and the European Central Bank, which, in his words, are so categorical and clear that they leave no room for speculation. Zafirov argued that "political speculation is aimed at creating turmoil and uncertainty in this political crisis, which ended with the formation of the current Government."

"Clearly there is a goal to recreate this crisis because we have overcome the political crisis but we have not healed the public crisis. These steps that the Government is taking and this unity that we are demonstrating show that we are about to solve this public problem as well," Zafirov added.

Referring to the situation in the Middle East, Zafirov called for a rapid de-escalation of the conflict between Israel and Iran, while Bulgaria should continue to follow a balanced policy.