site.btaUPDATED Campaign Highlights: Sept. 21

The VMRO-Bulgarian National Movement party (VMRO-BNM) supports an accelerated policy for raising incomes, said Monday in Varna party co-chair Iskren Veselinov. He said that minimum wage should become a minimum of BGN 900 by January and proposed a formula that automatically updates it, without an increase in insurance thresholds, which should be frozen at least until 2025 as an anti-crisis measure for businesses. VMRO-BND argued that the pension age and the length of service for it should be lowered, due to the reduction of average life expectancy, and advocated for a debate for a retirement age of 61 and 31 years of service, which would provide an average of 10 years of pension for each future pensioner.

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Kiril Petkov, co-chair of Continue the Change (CC) said in Gabrovo that his party hopes to continue the change after the elections on October 2, when they will try to make the minimum wage equal to 50% of the average wage. Petkov explained that increasing incomes and pensions will be a priority in order to be ahead of inflation. He also stressed that combating corruption is an important aspect and they want the anti-corruption commission to actually start working, to be headed by Boyko Rashkov, to be completely independent, so that stolen funds can be poured into social programmes. CC candidates top-of list Radostin Vasilev, entrepreneur Bogomil Petkov, economist Ralitsa Manolova, young farmer Petar Petrov.

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Nikolay Drenchev, leader of the list of candidates for MPs of Vazrazhdane in Lovech, attended an election campaign meeting there and said that with the construction of a high-speed railway line between Lovech and Pleven (Northern Bulgaria) the region can be developed and turned into an efficient economic centre. According to him, in order to develop the region, there must be peace and justice, which will be achieved with a judicial reform. Drenchev dadded that freedom for the business is also necessary, especially the small business, and removing administrative obstacles. According to him, small business is the backbone of Bulgaria's economy. 

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GERB-UDF leader Boyko Borissov said in Varna that his coalition has a clear position – the war must stop and that is why Ukraine must be helped. Otherwise, he said, there is a risk that the conflict will continue for a long time. This period in time is the worst for the last 50 years, Borissov said, adding that Bulgarians need a strong state now. The country can be strong with a lot of hard work and in partnership with Brussels and Washington, he noted. Borissov said that in 7 months of rule, the former rulers set back Bulgaria with 10 years and robbed its citizens. According to him, the country no has zero money from Europe, while under his party's rule all the EU funds were working. He said that he will retire once the Hemus motorway is ready. 

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MEP Radan Kanev from the Democratic Bulgaria party met with supporters in Stara Zagora, Southeastern Bulgaria. He told them that the city should become the centre of development of new technologies, without this meaning the immediate closure of the mines there. According to him, these processes must go in parallel. He said that a large part of the profits that are currently being made by the power plants in the area should be implemented in the parallel existence of known and new technologies. The project for a large photovoltaic park should be developed rapidly together with the first Bulgarian hydrogen capacities, Kanev pointed out. He said the most important issue affecting the state government is how the city can maintain its role as an energy hub.

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The Russophiles for the Revival of the Fatherland party chair Nikolay Malinov said at the BTA press club in Pazardzhik that Bulgaria must have good relations not only with the West, but also with the East. The formation presented its list of MP candidates from the 13th Pazardzhik constituency, which includes 14 people. Malinov said that the main problem of this country is geopolitical and added that "being a Russophile does not mean not loving Bulgaria". Malinov also recalled his party's slogan: "For Bulgaria and with Russia in our heart". He explained that the formation will work for a national referendum on leaving NATO and a European referendum on dropping sanctions against Russia. The chairman of the party told the audience about his meeting with Sergey Lavrov with whom he discussed the idea of creating international Russophilism.

The sequence of the campaign highlights featured in this report follows the ballot numbers of the 29 contestants in the October 2 snap parliamentary elections.