Although the executive branch has resigned, it is responsible for its actions, President tells journalists

 

The legitimacy of institutions lies in defending the facts and realising responsibility for their own actions. The executive is responsible for them, even in resignation. This is what President Rumen Radev said in response to a question about the government's decision to expel 70 Russian diplomats and assistants of the embassy of the Russian Federation in Bulgaria. The head of State was speaking to journalists after attending the NATO summit in Madrid, Spain.

 

The presidential institution has not received a report from the State Security Service on the expulsion of diplomats and assistants from the Russian embassy, the president said in response to a question. The head of State clarified that at the meeting of the Security Council of the Council of Ministers held on 9 June, which was attended by a representative of the presidential institution, the topic did not appear on the previously announced agenda, but was only discussed in principle, without a voted and adopted decision. This is confirmed by a reply to a letter from the Secretary of the Security Council of the Council of Ministers.

 

This clearly shows that apparently cabinet decisions are taken through some parallel mechanism, away from the institutional decision-making procedure, the head of State said. He added that decisions could not be taken in the executive on such an important issue in this manner. He noted that this decision could have serious consequences especially for the Bulgarian diplomatic mission in Moscow. Responding to a question whether there is a reason for the request to convene the Consultative Council for National Security, the President pointed out that the Consultative Council cannot overrule a decision already taken by the outgoing government and reminded that the body that controls the Council of Ministers is the Bulgarian Parliament. 

 

Responding to a question why consultations were not held with two of the parliamentary parties to form a government, the President said that, as always, in the procedure that has already been completed, the convenient time for both sides to hold the consultations was agreed in advance by telephone with all the invited parties. Therefore, the head of State said he could not speculate on the reasons why two of the parties did not show up for consultations.

 

It is important for the parties to take full responsibility for the mandates that will be handed to them because I believe that the potential for forming a government within this parliament is not exhausted, the President stressed. In his words, if it comes to elections, it is not appropriate to hold them before September 15 because it is important to have the highest possible turnout. The head of State pointed out that the procedure with the mandates should therefore be completed not earlier than two months before, but he specified that the opinion of the parties is also important in this regard.