Shipping firms are already refusing to carry grain across the Black Sea, and this threatens Bulgarian grain farmers, Progressive Bulgaria MP Todor Dzhikov said in a TV interview. He wants the European Union to take an urgent decision on sea transport.
Dzhikov said reports of refusals have come in since yesterday. Because of the shipping problems, he said, a large amount of Bulgarian grain will go unsold, its price will fall sharply and no buyers will be found. He believes the risk also affects other goods shipped across the Black Sea.
Dzhikov expects big losses and problems for the budget, because money will be needed to cover them. He called the situation very worrying and said solutions must be found as fast as possible.
He said the war is escalating. It began with strikes on ports and the ships in them, then came strikes on ships on the open sea, and now strikes are reaching economic zones. Dzhikov believes a mechanism for ending the war peacefully is needed, because the war is getting closer to Bulgaria's borders in different ways.
The MP called on politicians and parties to drop populism and stop chasing higher ratings. He asked members of the Consultative Council for National Security to act responsibly. Politicians who care about the state must set election results aside, Dzhikov said, because the problem is a major one for Europe and is moving closer.
For now, it looks likely that work will stop before the elections, he said. If it is decided that work should go on because of the dangers, the tension around the elections will carry over into that decision too, as has already been seen in the council.