Two days after the parliament unanimously approved his resignation, Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov's government held a press conference to list its actions over the past nine months since taking office.
The event on March 8 began with statements from Mr. Denkov and Deputy Prime Minister Maria Gabriel, a video screening with highlights of the activities of members of the government since June 2023, and separate statements from ministers, stating that this process It took about 90 minutes.
The video, set to music, highlights Bulgaria's partial accession to the Schengen Area on March 31 of this year, the reform bill approved by parliament, and a number of foreign leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. He emphasized achievements such as direct contact with Participation in major forums, such as Denkov's speech in the European Parliament.
At the press conference, there was a particularly friendly tone between Mr. Denkov and Mr. Gabriel, in contrast to the public tensions between their respective coalitions, “Transforming Democratic Bulgaria'' and “GERB-UDF.'' there were. Negotiations will begin on March 9 on a government led by Gabriel..
Equally noteworthy were comments by Denkov and several ministers that suggested optimism that a Gabriel government would emerge rather than early parliamentary elections.
In his opening remarks, Denkov said that negotiations on the continuation of joint governance should be conducted with clear priorities and a desire to reach an agreement.
“The governance program will continue for the next nine months. We are currently in the process of implementing it. Maria Gabriel and I will continue to work together to ensure a smooth transition with minimal disruption. I’m going,” he said.
Denkov said the Cabinet approved 600 decisions.
“Inflation is at its lowest level in two years and continues to slow. We have the second highest rate of wage growth in the EU, but much of the result is lost in the media and is less important.” It's being drowned out by other events.
“We have given the green light to the Struma motorway, 30km of the motorway has been built and we expect up to another 90km to open within the next nine months. That means that in 18 months of effort, approximately It is expected that 100 km of highway will be opened,” Denkov said.
“Despite the unforeseen events and often deliberate sabotage that we have encountered, to date around 56% of the measures under the governance program have been implemented, although there are still some delays.” said.
He said a second payment under the EU's recovery and resilience plan was still awaited.
“There are also delays in the National Children's Hospital project,” he said.
Other items Denkov highlighted included the government's efforts to combat disinformation.
Gabriel said: “Nine months ago, we made a difficult but very important choice. The parties supporting the government managed to defuse the conflict and spread mistrust between the parties.
“They supported a cabinet that, in the eyes of many, was impossible, for one thing: the stability of the country,” Gabriel said.
She said joint efforts will produce more sustainable results and open dialogue is the best way to overcome differences.
Gabriel said that as deputy prime minister he coordinates the activities of four institutions and nine councils.
“Making progress in the fight against human trafficking and preventing domestic violence are two themes that we are passionate about,” he said.
He pointed to the government's clear and predictable support for Ukraine, making it one of his top priorities.
“The Schengen Agreement is an important step forward. Bulgaria has become a predictable partner within the EU and NATO. It exists,” she said. Gabriel said Bulgaria was a factor in the stability of southeastern Europe.
Gabriel, who also holds the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs, said his ministry's program has 89 measures, of which 61 have been implemented and implementation of the rest has begun.
Mr Denkov asked ministers to keep their remarks as concise as possible, with Finance Minister Assen Vassilev emphasizing Bulgaria's priority for joining the eurozone in January 2025, and Defense Minister Todor Tagarev stressing Bulgaria's priority for joining the eurozone in January 2025. It said it had provided more than 7,000 tons of supplies. Millions of ammunition of various types and calibers, as well as more than 140 vehicles headed to Ukraine.
Comments from individual ministers were mixed, with some pointing to achievements, such as Bulgaria's partial accession to the Schengen Area, while others focused on priorities and legislation to be adopted in the future. .
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