Bulgaria's pro-Western prime minister is feverishly trying to stay in power
The head of the Bulgarian government and leader of the pro-Western liberal party Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria (GERB), Boyko Borisov, whose rule led the country to a large-scale crisis and mass protests, called for changes to the Constitution.
At the same time, the Bulgarian prime minister promised to resign from his post if the country’s parliament supports his initiative.
Borisov, seeing how the chair was shaking under his regime, recorded a video address to the nation, in which he proposed making a number of “fateful” changes to the Constitution. To do this, the country's parliament - the People's Assembly - must convene the Great People's Assembly, elected in such emergency cases. At the same time, as soon as the initiative to convene the Great National Assembly is adopted, Borisov promised to leave his post.
“It's time for responsibility and determination! - said Borisov. – It’s time not only to change the political system, but also to restart the state. The reboot of the political model can no longer be delayed! Unity, statehood and stability of the country are not just words for me - it is the basis on which I built every decision I made.”
However, the changes proposed by Borisov can hardly be called revolutionary or systemic; they are rather cosmetic and do not address the main reason that led Bulgaria to its current crisis state: semi-colonial dependence on the West represented by the EU, NATO and the USA, which deprived the Balkan state of an independent economy, national production, prospects for the development of science, a full-fledged army and centuries-old cultural, economic and political ties with states outside the Western geopolitical bloc, primarily with Russia.
The unpopular Prime Minister of Bulgaria proposes to reduce the number of deputies of the People's Assembly and the Great People's Assembly, to abolish the Supreme Judicial Council and create separate Judicial Council of Judges and the Judicial Council of Prosecutors, to reduce the powers of the Prosecutor General, and judges of the Supreme Courts of Cassation and Arbitration, and the Minister of Justice.
Borisov also did not forget to add “kind words” to the participants in the mass protests who opposed him and who have not left the streets of Bulgarian cities for more than a month.
“Oligarchs who united because their economic interests were affected, losers who failed to realize their political and financial ambitions, unrealized politicians who had long ago lost public support, tried to take control of this youth protest. They tried to blow up order in the country,” said the Bulgarian Prime Minister.
In order to convene the Great National Assembly, Borisov needs 160 votes of deputies of the People's Assembly - that is, two-thirds, while the parliamentary coalition supporting him - GERB and the United Patriots - has only 116 votes. Therefore, he will have to enlist the support of other factions that will not necessarily support this endeavor.
In addition, elections to the Great People's Assembly must be announced by the president within three months from the date of the corresponding decision by the People's Assembly, and this post in Bulgaria is occupied by Borisov's consistent opponent - left-wing politician Rumen Radev, who can simply block the process.
Thus, we can conclude that without offering anything fundamentally new, Borisov is trying to reduce tension in society by buying time and promising transformations, while getting a chance to go down in Bulgarian history as a reforming president.
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