site.btaUPDATED Push to Adopt Euro Drained Treasury, Cabinet Scrambling for Funding, President Says

Speaking to reporters in Varna on Sunday, President Rumen Radev said that "the push to adopt the euro has drained the treasury, and now the Cabinet is scrambling for funding and selling off the country." The head of State was attending a commissioning ceremony for the Class of 2025 cadets at the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy.

"The government of [MRF-New Beginning leader Delyan] Peevski and [GERB leader Boyko] Borisov is preparing to sell off state-owned properies – some along the Black Sea coast, others along the state border. They are plotting the biggest swindle since the 1990s. This involves 4,400 state properties. It is no coincidence that they pushed through changes to the State Property Act just before the holiday season," the President said.  

"One mistake leads to another. The clientele of the new assemblage [a term used with a negative connotation to refer to the formation of governments by politically incompatible entities] will benefit from these, but all Bulgarians will become poorer, and nature will also be negatively impacted. That is why I imposed a veto and I expect MPs to reconsider it," he added.

Asked about the modernization of the Armed Forces, Radev said that ample funding will be available for weapons and equipment and stressed the importance of setting clear priorities. He underscored the need to respect military expertise and maintaining civilian oversight. What is most important is to involve Bulgaria’s defence industry and scientific community to the fullest extent possible, Radev added.