Nayden Todorov: I cannot accept the reasons for « zero organization » from the previous cabinet

Dnevnik contacted Nayden Todorov, who was the Minister of Culture in the government of Dimitar Glavchev and who was committed to preparing the household before the new government took office to comment on what he thought led to the final refusal of Bulgaria to realize the UNESCO Forum in Sofia.

Why do you think the household of the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee was held in Paris and not in Sofia?

I don't think I'm the right person to ask this question. My battle in the last almost eight months has been to hold the session in Sofia for reasons that are more than obvious – the benefits for Bulgarian culture and for the image of Bulgaria from the household of such an event are immeasurable. At the same time, it is appropriate to mention that this idea from the outset had not only supporters, but also opponents, and during certain periods of time it happened that we have to convince different people why this is important for Bulgaria.

Has the decision to approve Bulgaria's host at the end of July last year?

By no means. After the idea of ​​applying for the household was reached, it was first presented by Deputy Minister Victor Stoyanov to the Committee on Culture in Parliament – about a week before the very decision of the Council of Ministers. Following the approval of the commission, the ministry began to prepare the documents for the Council of Ministers, I myself at that moment also implemented the first meetings with the representatives of the UNESCO management in Delhi.

After my harvest in Sofia, the communication of the ministry's cabinet remained there to coordinate. At the end of July, the decision from the Council of Ministers and Prime Minister Glavchev expressed concerns that, unfortunately, time showed as a sustainable that a subsequent government could have a different vision on the matter and it is not correct we as an office cabinet can bind it to us with a decision for an event that will not take place in time.

For this reason, Mr. Glavchev requested from me the written consent of the leadership of all parliamentary parties Bulgaria to run for this host. We have received these written consents – including from ITN, GERB and BSP, which formed the current government and the text in them was very clear and supportive of the event. Only then was the decision of the Council of Ministers to raise Bulgaria for the household of the session. Ie At that time, all parties in parliament were definitely about the event. From the meeting of the Committee on Culture, as well as from the letter of Dimitar Glavchev to the National Assembly, it was also clear that the estimated costs were about 10 million.

In recent days, reasons such as « zero organization », « lack of budget », « lack of capacity and human resources » have been highlighted, and only a month ago in a UNESCO letter, it is mentioned that the organization is going great. Where does the thread break and what do you think happened this one month?

I don't think the thread breaks somewhere. Probably in the end, the thesis or theses of those who were opposed to the household has prevailed. I do not know how one can talk about « zero organization » in all the work that people did in the fall and in fact until mid -January. « Lack of Capacity and Human Resources » is a self -esteem that if we put ourselves as a country, then I do not know what we can do but all of all to go together to Terminal 2.

As for the budget – yes, it is quite natural that in 2024 there was no budget for the World Heritage Committee session, because when the state budget was made, apparently such a household did not stand on the agenda – the vote in UNESCO was at the end of July 2024, but to remind the 2024 budget for the budget for 2024.

In your report to Dimitar Glavchev on how the stages of preparing for the household have passed and what should be done by the new government, you are concerned that the funding of the session is not embedded in the draft budget for 2025, but in the written response of the Operta Last Men. Representative of the Ministry of Finance. Was there a budget prepared and at what stage was he before the new Minister of Culture took office?

Indeed, there were no such funds in the budget proposed by the official government, despite our letter to the Ministry of Finance, and we were with serious concerns, where would we have to cut to cover the costs if things remained in this form. There was a conversation on the Council of Ministers sidelines that was a preliminary budget, in accordance with a 3% deficit border, but the decision is ultimately made by parliament and at the moment when the Committee on Culture was established, I can ask for the inclusion of the UNESCO, the Arts and the World Cultural Arts.

I was also told that this budget is very unlikely to be accepted at all, since the upcoming regular government will want to create its budget framework by sectors. In fact, it became – the state budget, which is now voted on in parliament, is not of the official government, but of the present.

As for the Organizing Committee, it included 6 representatives of the Ministry of Environment, 6 representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 5 representatives of the Ministry of Tourism, 8 representatives of the Ministry of Interior, 2 representatives of the Ministry of Electronic Government, 3 representatives of the National Palace, 2 representatives of the National Security Service, The Ministry of Culture. We also had notifications to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health that they would broadcast their representatives « if necessary ».

Again in the report, you suggest that the organization be taken over by the Council of Ministers. Have you received an answer to this proposal?

The report with which we propose in writing to go under the auspices of the Council of Ministers to be on January 13, and on January 16, the regular government has emerged. Whether there is an answer and what he was, I can no longer know. It is also very important to make it clear the reason for our proposal – it is not the result of our doubts as to whether we will do it, but due to the fact that the Minister of Culture does not have legitimacy to give tasks and control the performance of the tasks of other ministries. Do you imagine how I call the Minister of the Interior in my office and ask him how far he has come with the organization of safety of the National Palace of Culture? Only the prime minister has such powers.

Ministry of Culture

When you were passing on the post of the new Minister of Culture, was there a conversation between you about the host of the UNESCO Forum in Bulgaria?

Of course. I also emphasized the official broadcast to the Ministry's employees that the most important task – at least in my opinion – for 202 is the conduct of this forum. In our meeting in the cabinet thereafter, where we commented on all the problems in the sector, again I paid main attention to the topic of UNESCO and informed him who controls/coordinate the organization process at the ministry and is familiar with all the details.

Today, a Bulgarian company said it was ready to take over the household organization, and completely free of charge, explaining that they themselves organized many larger events in Bulgaria. Why then do Prime Minister Zhelyazkov and Minister Bachev claim that the government cannot handle it?

I am not in the shoes of Prime Minister Zhelyazkov and Minister Bachev and I cannot know their motives. There is probably some serious political arguments for this decision, but if so, I can't know them.

Yes, I am aware that at the moment, both in our country and globally, there are too many problems to comply with and solve, but this cannot give moral grounds to throw the blame for the decision and on a previous minister, just because he is an independent person and does not have a political party behind his back. Or at least I think so.

Is the lack of time a problem that Minister Bachev pointed out today during parliamentary control?

If the lack of time is the problem, then how exactly would the event happen in France, which by the beginning of March did not know that it would be in this situation and where the legislation, including that of public procurement, is similar to the Bulgarian one? Yes, there is a slowdown for almost two months – which can be considered logical, given the change of government and the need to enter the matter of the new staff, but although this delay complicates things, I believe it was still possible to make the household.

Is it better for Bulgaria to pay 5 million for an event in Paris than 10 or 20 to take place in Sofia? Something that is also referred to as the reason for the relocation.

No. Not only because of the added value of direct and indirect revenue for Bulgaria, but also for purely image reasons for our country and those related to the protection of the cultural heritage of Bulgaria, my answer is categorical « no ».

Will this affect the status of Bulgarian sites of cultural and historical importance, and in particular the case with the Old Town of Nessebar?

Not only do I not want to answer this question, I do not want to think about it. I want to believe that despite this absurd situation, the Bulgarian government will be able to save Nessebar.