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Debate between presidential candidates Radev and Gerdzhikov lasts for nearly one and a half hours

Photo: BGNES/BNT

The Bulgarian National Television broadcasted the only TV debate between the two Presidential candidates. Rumen Radev and Professor Anastas Gerdzhikov voiced expectations that the political forces represented at the 47th National Assembly will form a regular cabinet. “I am not involved in political engineering”, Rumen Radev said in response to the question whether “We Continue the Change” party, which is the first political force in Bulgaria’s 47th Parliament, was a president’s party.

The two candidates also discussed the Covid-19 crisis in Bulgaria. In Rumen Radev’s words, the measures taken by this country's caretaker cabinet have yielded positive results. According to Professor Gerdzhikov, however, the coronavirus crisis would have been less severe, if Bulgaria took timely measures in the summer of 2021. Both Presidential candidates said they received Covid-19 vaccines.

Rumen Radev and Anastas Gerdzhikov agreed that a referendum on Bulgaria’s position on North Macedonia was not necessary and added that this country’s position must not change. Bulgaria must seek a dialogue with Russia, although this country cannot be Bulgaria’s model for development, the two presidential candidates agreed. Rumen Radev and Anastas Gerdzhikov shook hands at the end of the debate. 




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