site.btaAssociation of Young Expatriate Bulgarians to Work for Presence of Youth in Politics

Association of Young Expatriate Bulgarians to Work for Presence of Youth in Politics

Sofia, December 28 (BTA) - An association of young expatriate Bulgarians born after January 1, 1981 called Millennium Club Bulgaria will work for the presence of more young people in politics and state institutions in Bulgaria, it emerged at the first annual a meeting of the Club on Wednesday which discussed its priorities for 2017 and 2018.

The members of the association think that young people up to 35 years of age are under-represented in politics, which should change. Nearly 55 per cent of the members of the Club are of the opinion that a political project should be created. Another 20 per cent support the idea, but "under certain circumstances".

Other priorities of the association are the upcoming Bulgarian presidency of the EU in 2018 and the Brexit talks. Millennium Club Bulgaria will offer expert assistance to the Bulgarian state institutions to ensure Bulgaria's good performance during the EU presidency. Concerning the negotiations between Britain and the EU, the Club will solicit contacts with other NGOs from Central and Eastern Europe for the creation of a group to defend the interests of CEE citizens living in the UK.

Attending the meeting of the Millennium Club Bulgaria were former Parliament chair Ognyan Gerdjikov, former chairman of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Stefan Vodenicharov, former deputy finance minister Ilia Lingorski. President elect Rumen Radev had been invited but could not attend. He relayed an address via Slavi Vassilev, a member of his staff.