14.07.2026
For the first time, Bulgaria openly states its national interest and for the first time we see that there is nothing scaring for a country to uphold its national interest within a community format. This was stated by Prime Minister Rumen Radev as he replied a media question about the EU’s 21st package of sanctions against Russia and Belarus.
“The European Union is strong when its member states are strong and they can be strong only when they uphold their interests and this line of conduct is respected by all other partners. Therefore, Bulgaria is now advocating a stronger Europe of stronger member states,” Rumen Radev said further.
In his words, EU countries are increasingly refracting sanctions precisely in the face of their national interest. “When we impose the 21st package, we must ask ourselves why we are getting that far and what was the outcome of the previous 20 packages of sanctions. Evidently, they fail to achieve the goal and really need to be designed in a modality where, first and foremost, they are not detrimental to the countries that impose them,” the Prime Minister pointed out.
As he answered another media question, the Prime Minister confirmed that he had been invited by French President Emmanuel Macron to join the Coalition of the Willing but believes that Bulgaria does not belong there. “We will not join a coalition that insists on continued financial and military support for Ukraine. We do not provide such support for I believe that the solution to this conflict is not its prolongation with military ways and means but involves a strong diplomatic mission that will finally put an end to the escalation,” Rumen Radev noted. Vis-à-vis the idea of the establishment of a missile defense coalition of which Ukraine would be a member, the Prime Minister recalled that all decisions concerning the collective security of the EU and NATO countries are made in the formats to which Bulgaria actively contributes.
Prime Minister Rumen Radev thanked President Emmanuel Macron for the invitation to attend the traditional military parade to mark the French National Day. A Bulgarian guard unit will march in today’s parade which the Prime Minister described as a sign of the exceptionally good relations between Bulgaria and France.
Asked about the debate on the Bulgarian budget, Prime Minister Rumen Radev emphasized the high deficit legacy from previous administrations. He stressed that the cabinet is doing whatever is possible to bring down the deficit to an acceptable level this year and to lower it next year, 2027, over this year’s figure. Regarding the excessive deficit procedure, the Prime Minister recalled that this is a standard practice that has been imposed on other European countries, accordingly. “However, I will not accept criticism, help and advice from parties that brought the country to a financial catastrophe and to today’s excessive deficit. We will do whatever is possible and we will do it in a proper way so that we can lower the deficit,” Prime Minister Rumen Radev said further.
