Borissov: The EC slapped us for vaccines! How? – politics

Our call to the European Commission is that injustice is eliminated immediately by moving to a percentage distribution of vaccines per capita. This was stated by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov at a press conference in Vienna after his meeting with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and the Prime Ministers of the Czech Republic – Andrej Babiš, from Latvia – Arturs Krišjanis Karinš, from Slovenia – Janez Janša and of Croatia – Andrej Plenković.

The focus of the conversation of the six leaders was the position for the fair distribution of vaccines against COVID-19 based on the percentage of population of each member state of the European Union. The meeting took place in the Austrian capital after Borissov, Kurz, Babis, Karins, Jansa and later Plenkovic joined them on Saturday, sending a letter to the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the President of the European Commission. , Ursula von der Lion.

Borissov and four other European leaders call for a European-level debate on COVID-19 vaccines

Allow me first, on behalf of all colleagues and on my behalf, to thank Sebastian Kurz, the Chancellor of Austria, not just for today’s meeting. We have been talking on the phone for a week. We wrote the letter because we have always believed in European solidarity and in the decisions of the European Council. At the European Council on May 21, we voted in proportion to the per capita vaccine distribution. The topic is over for us. Then they gave us several shots that were just as good. The negotiations are led by the European Commission, the quality of the vaccines is guaranteed by the European Medicines Agency and, consequently, we have purchased and contracted several million vaccines of all kinds. Neither company is honoring its contracts. Furthermore, from the timetable proposed by the Austrian colleagues, it turns out that they are not only not fulfilling the contracts, but they are violating them, violating the proportional distribution that we, as the Council, have decided. It is said that there was a committee that made more important decisions than the European Council. “I cannot understand how a Council decision can be changed without us changing it,” Borissov said.

The European Commission and the European Council have done a great job. If this problem has arisen anywhere in them, it is today’s meeting and our call to the Commission to have this injustice removed immediately, moving on to what we have agreed on on the percentage distribution per capita. This is our wish. In fact, in May, some Member States will build herd immunity, others will not. Or they will send us to other addresses to search for vaccines from third countries. If they want to do that, let them do it, said the prime minister.

I am convinced that the new 10 + 4 million vaccines, which today I know that 10 more have been agreed upon, will be given to those behind us. Also, there are elections in Bulgaria on April 4. Our vaccination campaign is extremely important so that the entire democratic electoral process is respected. As many people as possible to get vaccinated and go to the polls, stressed the Prime Minister.

At the moment, one approach is like Victor Orban’s, taking Russian and Chinese vaccines, and the other is like our approach, that of the European People’s Party: an injustice that must be corrected, a problem that must be solved. We are not a supervisory body to control how vaccines are distributed in Europe. They say on what date, we send a plane or a truck comes and we get vaccinated. We do not want any alms to be made to us. Bulgaria has invested in vaccine development. Where will there be a leaderboard now? This is a political slap in the face. What comes out is that the Maltese prime minister is the best prime minister, who has delivered the most vaccines? Is not true. We have invested, paid in solidarity and voted by the Council. I hope this issue will be resolved tomorrow at the videoconference meeting with Ursula von der Layen and Charles Michel, Borissov said.

Borissov: The pandemic is at such a stage that it is extremely important to be united

When asked if the GERB was likely to leave the European People’s Party like Fidesz, the party of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the prime minister said: “My GERB party and I are among the oldest members of the PPE. Our partner of coalition, the UDF, is in the EPP. I do not see any reason to leave the EPP. It does not cross our minds, at least not for me. “

One of the journalists pointed out that on the eve of the April 4 parliamentary elections in Bulgaria confidence in the ruling party is declining, there is also a problem with freedom of expression, asking Borissov for a comment. In response, the prime minister said: “So far I have won 13 elections. All sociological agencies give a difference of 4-6% between GERB and the rest. We will speak after the elections. The issue of freedom of the press in Bulgaria is Wrong. The mainstream media are in the hands of large foreign companies that have no relationship with us. I dare say that in Bulgaria freedom of expression is so free that it is difficult to compare with other countries. “