Andrey Gyurov to Politico: "The elections in Bulgaria are not for sale!"

“Elections in Bulgaria are not for sale,” caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov said in an interview with Politico. Days before the eighth parliamentary vote in five years, the prime minister promised tougher action against vote-buying and electoral manipulation. “What we want to do as a government is to protect elections, not to steer them,” he said. Andrey Gyurov reported that in recent weeks, authorities have detained more than 200 people in a nationwide crackdown on vote-buying.

According to the prime minister, coalition governments have focused more on retaining power than on implementing reforms on issues that people have protested about. Until these fundamental issues are addressed, the country risks remaining trapped in a cycle of political instability and voter disengagement, he says. The Prime Minister also says that Bulgaria remains a reliable partner within Western alliances such as NATO and a strategic player in the security field in the Black Sea.

“We cannot wait for the right moment when it comes to security,” Andrey Gyurov points out, adding that the partnership with Kyiv offers opportunities to develop high-tech defense capabilities and equipment, as well as infrastructure for the army with a dual purpose – military and civilian. The government is also seeking to distance itself from decisions it considers politically motivated, including US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, Politico reported.

Editor: Diana Tsankova