Prime minister Rumen Radev says the state will bring in private investors to build infrastructure through public-private partnerships and concessions. The idea is to keep budget money for health, education and the needs of small and remote villages and towns.

Radev spoke to reporters in Tvarditsa at a ground-breaking ceremony for a battery park that will store electricity. He answered questions about economic gaps between regions and about how to attract more investment.

To even out the regions and bring in more investment, better transport links are needed first, the prime minister said. Poor links make life harder for remote regions and small settlements, he said. In his view, the budget is limited, and for decades links could not be built with state money alone.

Speaking to the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) about public money, Radev said: "Especially when it is shamelessly stolen, as has happened until now." He said the government is already tightening control and checking every public procurement contract.

He was also asked whether the state will help businesses hit by higher electricity prices. Radev said a clear plan is ready and the energy minister has already met business representatives. More talks are due to settle how the state can help in the most suitable and effective way.

Radev said higher electricity prices affect all of Europe, and one cause is the move away from efficient energy sources. He called the crisis global and once again called for the war to stop.

The prime minister also commented on a protest set for tonight under the slogan "Your 'peace' is capitulation! Your 'diplomacy' is isolation!" Radev told BTA: "The organisers' plan is becoming clearer – to revive the coalition and to whitewash Borisov and Peevski."

He said the organisers want to bring Borisov and Peevski back to power along with themselves, drag the country into the war, and let Asen Vassilev write the budget.