"The national interest must be the leading factor in every management decision, and politicians are obliged to show more dignity and self-esteem". This was stated by former Minister of Culture Vezhdi Rashidov in the program “Offensive with Lyubo Ognyanov“ on NOVA NEWS.
According to him, the world is in an extremely tense situation, marked by numerous military conflicts and a growing sense of insecurity. According to him, fear is the most dangerous weapon because it makes people more easily manipulated.
“Fear-mongering is sometimes more dangerous than war itself. A suppressed psyche makes people make the wrong decisions, and that is why politicians must be especially careful in such times“, Rashidov emphasized.
He expressed support for the Prime Minister's position on putting the national interest first. “First we must look at our own house, make sure it is tidy and stable. Then we can help others“, the former minister also said.
According to him, Bulgaria must stand up for its positions more categorically and not become dependent on foreign interests. “We must preserve our dignity and forget servitude. Bulgaria is not a small country, but a country with history, culture and great personalities. If we lose our self-confidence, we lose our statehood“, he believes.
Rashidov also commented on the work of the ruling party, who, according to him, came to power with clear promises to fight corruption, judicial reform and change the governance model. “God forbid that they deal with corruption, because this is in everyone's interest. But people expect real results, not just promises“, he said.
The former minister also criticized the government's divergent messages on foreign policy issues. In his words, a government should speak with one voice. “There should not be contradictory positions in one team, which then have to be explained for hours. A clear position is a sign of statehood“, Rashidov said.
He also commented on the protests of recent years, expressing the opinion that a large part of young people participated without a clear idea of the reasons. “Bulgaria needs something more permanent, more stable and more secure. Real change does not happen only with slogans“, he pointed out.
Vezhdi Rashidov drew attention to the state of Bulgarian culture. According to him, society is gradually forgetting the great Bulgarian artists and spiritual landmarks. “Today we are focused on entertainment and television games, and we forget personalities like Valeri Petrov, Yordan Radichkov, Vladimir Dimitrov – The Master and Zlatyu Boyadzhiev. They are the people who should be an example for the young“, he said.
According to Rashidov, art has always been the strongest protest against war. As an example, he pointed to “Guernica“ by Pablo Picasso, which even today remains a symbol of opposition to violence. “Blood is never the path to peace. Peace comes through dialogue, forgiveness and the desire for people to understand each other,“ said the former Minister of Culture.
At the end of the conversation, he called on society to preserve the memory of the great Bulgarian artists and not to lose its spiritual orientations.
The conversation ended with a quote from Yordan Radichkov: “A person is a long sentence, written with a lot of love and inspiration, but full of spelling mistakes“.