site.btaSocialists View Bulgarian EU Presidency as Opportunity for Sofia to Play Leading Role in Discussions on Europe's Future

Sofia, October 13 (BTA) - The opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) views the upcoming Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union as an opportunity for the country to play a leading role in the discussions on Europe's future. BSP leader Kornelia Ninova told a conference on Friday that the Bulgarian EU Presidency will come at a time of great challenges to the bloc and should make every effort to preserve Europe united, strong and socially sensitive. She called on the Bulgarian political parties to pool their efforts for a successful Presidency.

The conference was organized by the Solidary Society Foundation and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. It discussed the national priorities in the context of the Bulgarian EU Presidency in the first half of 2018.

Georgi Pirinski MEP noted that nowadays the EU is beset by problems and contradictions associated with growing inequality, which is the opposite of cohesion. Therefore, the Bulgarian EU Presidency should find common ground for all.

BSP Deputy Chair Deniza Slateva said a successful Presidency means successful finalization of legislative initiatives and measures, or the so-called dossiers. Slateva noted that the Estonian EU Presidency which will end in December will hand over many of the dossiers to the Bulgarian EU Presidency. Such difficult dossiers as the reform of the Schengen area and the reform of the European asylum system will be active during the Bulgarian stint at the Presidency. Slateva called for proper balance between protecting the national interests and promoting consensus.

It is particularly important, according to Slateva, to articulate and defend the Bulgarian view that the EU must be preserved as a community of equal members.