In an interview with the Bulgarian National Radio, leader of the "Volya" party and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Veselin Mareshki, said that his party was to launch the idea of ​​organizing referendum on Bulgaria exiting NATO.

"We think that NATO is not providing us with anything, but actually robbing us," Mareshki said and added that a truly strong and united Europe could be equivalent to the United States and not its "accessory."

“Currently some states create problems across the world but Europe pays the prize. Why don’t the US pay the money to Turkey but it is Europe that is paying the bill?" Mareshki added.

Deputy Chairman of the ruling GERB party Tsvetan Tsvetanov said he was surprised by the idea of Volya leader to hold a referendum on leaving NATO. Tsvetanov also said that Mareshki's position was probably triggered by his participation in a meeting of right-wing political leaders hosted by French National Front leader Marine Le Pen after on March 1 "Volya" joined the Movement for a Europe of Nations and Freedom.

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev described Veselin Mareshki’s words as a "joke." "Bulgaria is part of NATO and this is our collective security system," Radev pointed out.