The agenda of the Consultative Council on National Security to be held at the end of March will include energy security and independence and energy efficiency. This emerged at a meeting between President Rosen Plevneliev and the co-chairs of the Blue Coalition, Martin Dimitrov and Ivan Kostov. The meeting with the political leadership of the Blue Coalition was the first in the “month of political consultations” initiated by the President.

The Blue Coalition leaders briefed the Head of State on the policy priorities and initiatives of the coalition and supported the intention of the President to regularly put before parliament his views on topical issues of national importance. At the meeting, the main political priorities were highlighted as including energy security and independence, as well as decisions on the energy sector being transparent and based on strong public debate, reform of the judiciary,
the conditions for effective functioning of small and medium businesses and the protection of such businesses from those in dominant market positions, the need to find a balanced solution to the funding of public debt; and administrative reform to improve government efficiency.

President Rosen Plevneliev and the Blue Coalition leaders agreed on the need for national political and social consensus on the objectives of the Bulgaria 2020 strategy, because the long-term commitments in the document will be pursued, negotiated and funded by successive governments up to 2020.

The President also took a strong position against steps that would lead to harmonization of the tax base for corporate taxation in the European Union. In his words, Bulgaria’s tax policy regarding businesses gave it a significant advantage, which must be maintained.

The President will support the idea of the Blue Coalition for a major campaign to increase the confidence of the Bulgarian citizens, who would be able to invest in government securities in a way similar to the example of Italy and other European countries. In this way, citizens would be able help the government in its efforts to achieve a balanced solution for the financing of government bonds that will be maturing in early 2013, while it will invest in instruments with a guaranteed return, President Plevneliev said.

The Blue Coalition has prepared a draft law on the National Intelligence Service, which it will present to the President’s team, it emerged during the meeting.