Prime Minister Kiril Petkov commented on BNT on the hottest topic in the political sphere in Bulgaria - the upcoming vote of no confidence in the government.

"I would not say that we should talk about failure. This is a continuation of a change that began last year and it is very difficult," he said.

"We are trying and I think we will be able to clear the hidden shadowy forces in the ruling coalition. Then, the change will be a very feasible step," said the Prime Minister.

"If the government falls and is given a mandate again, we will start negotiations again, but not with Boyko Borissov, not with Kostadin Kostadinov or Slavi Trifonov, but with all independent parties and deputies," Kiril Petkov added.

The Prime Minister pointed out that there is no problem if not him, but another of his colleagues from "We Continue the Change" becomes Prime Minister of Bulgaria. On the issue of the prematurely dismissed Speaker of the National Assembly Nikola Minchev, Petkov commented:

"Everyone liked Nikola Minchev in parliament. It was voted against him as a person."

The Prime Minister also drew attention to the issue of seeking additional support from deputies for the no-confidence vote and the MPs leaving “There Is Such a People” (TISP).

"Today another MP from TISP said I choose Bulgaria, I choose to be part of this change and I will not press the button with DPS and GERB anymore. I hope for more such cases in the coming days. We are in parliament because of these people on the street and when you feel the support, you know that what you are doing is right. The idea is to fight for ideas, not for someone to try to provoke something. I hope for peaceful protests not even in support of the government, but in support of change", Added Petkov.

He pointed out that the problem of his formation for the first 6 months is that while they knew who was responsible for “Democratic Bulgaria” and the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), they had no idea who was responsible for “There Is Such a People” - whether Toshko Yordanov, Slavi Trifonov or someone else.

The prime minister called on President Rumen Radev to decide whether the change is complete and to stand by them in their battle with the hidden shadowy forces.

“Now is the time when the president can say that this change is not over and he stands by the people. Either someone misleads him about what is happening or he needs time to realize that the battle we started a year ago is not over at all,” Petkov said. He said the head of state should return to the people because the people see what is happening.

"I stand before you with a clear conscience. I do not have a single move as prime minister to say - I'm sorry, I made a mistake," Petkov said, commenting on allegations that he had betrayed Bulgaria's position in the EU negotiation process with North Macedonia. "It may have been a mistake to decide to work 20 hours a day in the last 6 months".

"In order for this coalition to remain unstable, there was constant talk about the RNM. And I kept saying that there would be no decision without the Bulgarian parliament. And no one wanted to hear it because it is not profitable. As prime minister, I will not make any decision unless it is taken by the Bulgarian parliament. The only thing I will say at the table with the leaders of Europe is that I will not change the Bulgarian position if there is no decision from the Bulgarian parliament. The attacks are false, they covered our desire for change," said the Prime Minister.

"If what I hear is true, the French proposal will guarantee the rights of Bulgarians in the RNM both in terms of anti-discrimination and in the Constitution," Petkov added, admitting that he had not read the French proposal, which was sent directly to the National Assembly.

"I will not make any independent decision. I will follow the will of the Bulgarian parliament," he concluded. The Prime Minister also commented on the inflation crisis in Bulgaria.

"Russia's gas has risen four times. Oil has come up with a huge increase because of the war in Ukraine. And food, much of which is imported, has gone up. In other words, there's been a lot of inflation. What we've done is for Bulgarian households to increase their electricity bills and for inflation to be suppressed. This introduced inflation has hit every Bulgarian's pocket. Fact. That is why the 2 billion we have proposed is going in this direction - to compensate the people with the lowest incomes." said Kiril Petkov.

However, he reported economic growth as well as compensation for business.

"In fact, we have done quite well for this crisis. Whoever is trying to lie that he can control all the inflation from the outside is a small-scale populism," he said.

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