10.12.2023
Austria’s position is a step in the right direction. However, Bulgaria will not agree on further conditions such as “migrants in exchange for air Schengen”. Schengen negotiations continue in coming days and weeks. The statement was made by Prime Minister Acad. Nikolai Denkov for journalists vis-à-vis the information that Vienna is willing to make concessions on the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area.
The Prime Minister reiterated that the country is willing to get additional European support for border protection. “We will welcome logistic support from partner countries in the form of men and materiel for border control – all this is acceptable. What is not acceptable is to let Bulgaria be treated in a manner that is different from that applied to other countries. Categorically, this won’t be accepted,” Acad. Nikolai Denkov said further.
The Prime Minister emphasized that though Austria’s position of today is in the right direction, it is not final. It is just a temporary stance that, for some reason, the Austrians decided to share in public. Negotiations are under way and will continue in the coming days. “Nothing is agreed unless everything is agreed,” the Prime Minister concluded.
Regarding the upcoming amendments to the Constitution, the Prime Minister noted that they are needed both for the sake of the reform of the Judiciary and because of the long periods with caretaker governments in office and a dissolved parliament. “This contradicts the very principle of the parliamentary republic which is the underlying principle of the Constitution,” Acad. Nikolai Denkov said. As he put it, the President is an interested party in this process and cannot be expected to be impartial. “It is very important to approve the amendments concerning the development of the Judiciary. Therefore, I expect there will not be any delay whatsoever concerning the amendments to the Constitution, the election of the Anti-Corruption Commission members and forthcoming amendments to the legislation on the Judiciary. We have an extremely great number of tasks to implement and that is why I am saying that for me the claim that the reason for this government to exist is the passage of the amendments to the Constitution is untenable,” Prime Minister Acad. Nikolai Denkov said further.
