DECLARATION

on the top priorities of the 41st National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria

22 July 2009

We, the members of the 41st National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria,

Guided by our sense of responsibility towards the proud history of the state of Bulgaria and the spiritual roots of the people of Bulgaria, inspired by the legacy of the Apostle of Freedom Vasil Levski, whose 172nd birth anniversary we celebrated on July 18th, being aware of the considerable difficulties facing the country in its present development

We join around the understanding about the need to:

Reaffirm the place deserved by the Republic of Bulgaria as member of the European Union,

Increase the well being and living standards of Bulgarian citizens by ensuring the financial stability and economic growth of the country,

Warrant the rule of law and lawfulness, and the national security of the Republic of Bulgaria,

Reestablish the trust in the state institutions of the Bulgarian citizens, including by reconsidering the way of governance of the former triple coalition

We hereby express our clear will to work actively in order to:

1. Create a new positive image of the Republic of Bulgaria before the European institutions by initiating constitutional and legislative reforms in the Judiciary and the Interior and by starting an effective fight against all forms of corruption and organized crime;

2. Undertake specific measures to restore the access to the European funds and improve their absorption with a view to get the country faster out of the crisis and accelerate the economic growth;

3. Take urgent measures to counter the economic crisis through launching an anti-crisis program with the aim to limit the negative effects on Bulgarian business and the individual citizen;

4. Initiate particular policies in the fields of Education and Health Care and effective reforms in the areas of Infrastructure, Agriculture, Environment and Forest protection;

5. Provide for the energy security and independence of the country taking into consideration the national interests and the protection of the environment of Bulgaria;

6. Provide guarantees for the stability of the existing democratic political and parties system by the use of honest electoral procedures and adoption of new election legislation and through amendments to the Political Parties Act and the Referendum’s Act;

7. Increase the public trust in the National Assembly by improving the organization and efficiency of its work and the moral image of members of parliament;

8. Optimize the central and local administrations' effectiveness.