site.btaPresident Radev Comments on Parliament Chairmanship Rotation, Temporary Ban on Fuel Exports to EU

Commenting on the recent rotation of the National Assembly chairmanship, President Rumen Radev Saturday said that "the abuse of the Constitution began with the laconic reform of the assemblage [the ruling coalition of unwilling partners CC-DB and GERB, which fell apart before the agreed rotation of governance seats]." Radev referred to the 2023 constitutional amendments, which curtailed his authority to appoint a caretaker prime minister. He argued that "the assemblage" created a pool of officeholders eligible for appointment as caretaker prime minister so that "the parties could pass the baton of power among themselves, even when the public disapproves of them and demands snap elections."

The President said that every appointment made to fill the position of National Assembly Chair is primarily a matter of filling this pool with potential future caretaker prime ministers.

In his words, "the political class is sinking ever deeper into the swamp of lawlessness."

He noted that Nataliya Kiselova’s brief term as chair of Parliament would be remembered primarily "for her blatant violation of the law" in refusing to consider his euro referendum proposal. "This was done by a professor of constitutional law," Radev said.

As to the temporary ban on exports and intra-Community delieveries of petroleum products to other European Union Member States, Radev said that it is "a necessary preventive measure that is long overdue."

The most important task of the government is to prevent fuel shortages and price shocks, the President said, warning that such developments could have a very negative impact on the economy and people’s livelihoods and lead to "unpredictable consequences."

Asked about the EU’s warnings regarding the Serbian World project, Radev said the Western Balkans remained a "critical security hotspot," adding that the European Union’s "full attention" was focused on the region. "It is high time that all European institutions address this issue, as it is a sensitive one, including for us," the head of State said.