site.btaOne Current and Three Former Prime Ministers Join Discussion on Europe's Future

One Current and Three Former
Prime Ministers Join Discussion
on Europe's Future


Sofia, June 5 (BTA) - A minute of silence for the victims of the London terror attack was observed at the beginning of a discussion in Sofia Monday, entitled: "Europe Back on Track." The event brought together one current and three former prime ministers of Bulgaria: Boyko Borissov, Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Sergei Stanishev and Ognian Gerdjikov. The meeting was held at the initiative of Stanishev, who is President of the Party of European Socialists.

Bulgaria's Vice President Iliana Iotova said at the discussion that "security" is the watchword for every European family nowadays. She called for stronger efforts to combat terrorism.

Laying particular emphasis on social security, she expressed her concern that almost 10 years after the peak of the global financial and economic crisis, there is still no accurate analysis by experts about what caused the crisis and what measures should be taken jointly by all EU members. Iotova also warned of a delay of the debate on the EU budget for the next financial framework.

The Vice President remarked that the member states have very different interests as regards the cohesion policy. "Ever more often we hear people say that other financial and economic instruments will be used during the next financial period, that the EU funds will be replaced by those new instruments. This will practically bring the cohesion policy to an end," she said.

Before the event, ex-prime minister Stanishev warned that unless Bulgaria has a vision about the future of Europe, things will happen without Bulgaria and the country will find itself on the fringes of the processes that unfold. He said Sofia should try to be at the heart of European integration and pursue a clear and active policy for joining the Schengen border-free area and the Eurozone. "We also have something to contribute in the field of border security, and also something that has been forgotten to a certain extent - the Black Sea region," he said. Stanishev further noted that the public expects more action in the field of social security.

Taking a question about security, Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the former king of Bulgaria who served as prime minister between 2001 and 2005, underscored the need for a concerted effort. "Either Europe is united, or there is no Europe at all," he said.

According to Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Europe should not be taken for granted. "The people of my generation were divided in Europe by wars, by politics and the Iron Curtain," he said, noting that the emergence of the EU made Europe a community of shared destiny and values. He recalled how emotional he was on April 25, 2005, when he signed the agreement on Bulgaria's accession to the EU.

Saxe-Coburg-Gotha observed that the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU in the first half of 2018 will be a time of great turbulence and crucial events. He singled out three challenges confronting the bloc. "For the first time since World War II, there is a real risk that the generation of today's young people may find themselves in a worse situation than their parents," he said. The second challenge is migration, according to him. "I was an immigrant myself, and I know what it is like to be an outcast in a foreign country." The third challenge has to do with the unity of Europe. "I sincerely believe in the EU. My hope is that while we discover other planets and make technological advancements, we will not fail to notice the others around us. Getting Europe 'back on track' is in our own hands," Saxe-Coburg-Gotha said.

Prime Minister Borissov commented that it is up to Bulgaria to join the Eurozone or not. He said: "As a nation, we need to press ahead with our reforms, meet the requirements, so that they have no reason to say: You stay on the periphery while we develop." Borissov wants Bulgaria to show that it is a responsible nation with a vision for the Balkans, for the Black Sea region and the EU.

He noted that Bulgaria's Balkan neighbours may have many problems, but they need to have European prospects in order to keep Euro-skepticism at bay. "There is a Danube Strategy but there is no Black Sea Strategy," Borissov said, adding that the Black Sea is absent from the map of Europe. "Bulgaria has no other path to follow than to work for a strong European Union," Borissov stated.

The EU Presidency could give Bulgaria a chance to change its image, said Bulgarian EU Presidency Minister Liliyana Pavlova, adding that this country is not widely known for positive things. She recalled that 2018 is the year of cultural heritage. "It is in our hands to try and change Bulgaria's image and the way it is recognized, through culture, traditions, history, and via the Presidency's cultural programme," Pavlova said.

She noted that the main topics for Bulgaria, known as the three "Cs", are competitiveness, cohesion policy and culture.

Deputy prime minister in Ognian Gerdjikov's caretaker government, Deniza Slateva, who was in charge of preparing the EU Presidency, said that political priorities have been defined, the national programme is to be adopted and there will be clarity regarding the legislative acts towards the end of the Estonian EU Presidency.

Commenting the Schengen question, Slateva said that despite not being part of the Schengen border-free area, Bulgaria is meeting the requirements for protecting its external borders, voicing hope that this country will soon be granted access to the visa information system. According to her, the additional steps needed for Bulgaria's Schengen and Eurozone accession are not at the technical, but at the political level.

Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) leader Kornelia Ninova proposed that the Government makes an assessment on Bulgaria's ten years in the EU and the five scenarios for the EU's future development. According to her, assessing its EU membership will show the benefits for Bulgaria and will help overcome Euroscepticism. Ninova proposed that Minister Pavlova submits the vision for the Bulgarian EU Presidency and Europe's future, so that consensus can be reached in Parliament.
The Socialist leader noted that the current discussion shows that people with different political beliefs can unite in the name of Bulgaria.

Ninova spoke against allowing Europe at different speeds. According to her, groups of EU Member States developing at different speeds would not solve the problems, but rather aggravate the contradictions.

BSP's leader believes that Bulgaria should also present national priorities during the EU Presidency, on the backdrop of the European problems. These, in her words, should include continuing the cohesion policy after 2020, economy and production with a focus on SMEs, the EU common policy on internal and external security, as well as Bulgaria's Schengen accession. LI, PK/VE, MY

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