Asked on Monday to comment on the latest changes to the Gambling Law, which completely bans gambling advertising in the media, President Rumen Radev said that experts in the presidency are still studying the new texts in detail.
The head of state announced to journalists after the ceremony on the occasion of the Day of the Bulgarian Army that it is being considered whether to issue a decree for the promulgation of the changes or to impose a veto.
“Such hasty legislation does not always bring the desired result,” said Radev.
Advertising of gambling in any form is prohibited in all types of media – television, radio, printed publications and internet pages, the National Assembly finally decided with amendments to the Law on Gambling adopted in the second reading. The texts, which were submitted by GERB and DPS, were adopted last Tuesday unanimously with 198 votes in favor, without a single “against” or “abstention”. A huge number of Bulgarian citizens, media experts, organizations for the protection of children, psychologists, groups of gambling addicts, etc., have been insisting on the ban for 6-7 years.
About the defense policy
Recently, we have started to get used to the frequent change of governments and parliaments, but in today’s time of crises, wars and uncertainty, we cannot afford to get used to the neglect of the Bulgarian Army, where the processes of modernization and personnel care are still moving too slowly . President Rumen Radev commented this to journalists after the celebrations in front of the monument to the Unknown Warrior in the capital on the occasion of May 6 – Day of Courage and a holiday of the Bulgarian Army.
The head of state congratulated all Bulgarians on St. George’s Day and congratulated the directories.
Our army has always been a pillar of statehood and of our people in the most difficult trials. Bulgarians pay well-deserved respect to their warriors. I wish all men and women with epaulettes health and strength in their responsible mission, said President Radev.
“It took me convening several successive National Security Advisory Councils to finally get the modernization process going. It took the current parliament almost a year to accept the modernization investment program developed and submitted by Donev’s interim government,” added the head of state .
Rumen Radev stressed that he has long been appealing not for urgent, but for “emergency” measures to stop the alarming outflow from the army.
He congratulated the National Assembly and the parties for listening and deciding to raise the salaries of military personnel. “A comprehensive package of measures is needed to return the attractiveness of the military profession. The dynamics of changes in the security environment require us to increase defense spending and 2% is no longer enough. Most NATO countries are already targeting spending above 2%,” he explained the president.
It is necessary to realize that there is a need for greater flexibility and adaptability in the defense policy, in the planning and spending of resources, so that we build adequate defense capabilities and people see the Bulgarian Army as a reliable shield for their security in within the framework of collective defense, commented the President and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
About “Mommy and Me” Hospital
Regarding whether there were requests for the construction of a private multi-specialty hospital “Mama and I” during the time of Galab Donev’s office, Rumen Radev said that there were requests not only during Donev’s time, but also during Stefan Yanev’s time .
“And here the state must stand its ground, and it has been too late for so many years to build a national children’s hospital with the ability to have all the necessary departments, to have conditions not only for the children, for their parents, so that they do not travel from hospital to hospital, from office to office, from laboratory to laboratory, but to find quality services at the highest possible level in one place. This is our duty as a society and as a country,” said Radev.
The caretaker government’s decision on the private children’s hospital caused a serious scandal due to suspicions that private interests were being served amid the delay of the state children’s hospital project. After non-governmental organizations and citizens spoke against it, PP-DB and DPS also insisted that the proposal be reconsidered. President Rumen Radev requested the same. Delyan Peevski cryptically announced that it is necessary to know who misled the government.
The main suspicions that the private children’s hospital will make the construction of a public one meaningless. There are doubts that there will not be staff for two such medical facilities, and that the government is serving private interests in health care.
The intentions for its construction belong to the company “Targovska Liga”. The project was rejected in 2022 by the then cabinet of Kiril Petkov. However, the interim government of Dimitar Glavchev gave the green light.
The report on the case of the private children’s hospital “Mommy and I” will be sent to the DANS and the prosecutor’s office tomorrow – on the first working day after the holidays, acting Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev announced today.
He stated that at the time his government made the decision to allow construction of the medical facility, everything was legal.
Glavchev is also waiting for a detailed report from the Ministry of Health, and asked for a comment – whether he will respond to the invitation of the investor, who has a ward in a hospital in Pleven, the caretaker prime minister said:
“I have high respect for Bulgarian doctors and everyone in the sector. I have no doubt that the highest professional standards are being met in the hospital you mentioned in Pleven, and what will come out of the reports you asked me about, let’s we wait”.
