site.btaMEP Ilhan Kyuchyuk: Bulgaria Would Lose from Early Elections

Bulgaria would only lose if it holds elections for the Bulgarian and the European Parliament simultaneously, according to Ilhan Kyuchyuk, MEP from Renew Europe/MRF and president of the "Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Europe" (ALDE), who spoke with BTA during the session of the European Parliament in mid-March. According to him, parliamentary elections and European elections in one in June would lead to many missed benefits for this country.

"Bulgarian ministers, if they are caretaker ministers, will not have the weight that any regular minister has," the MEP pointed out, adding that European politics in the next few months will set the agenda for at least the next five years. To illustrate his point, he mentioned the Green Deal and migration policy. "Many policies will be reviewed and made to work in the next five years. If Bulgaria does not participate in this conversation, we will miss an awful lot of political time and a huge political resource," Kyuchyuk said.

After the elections in June, he expects a very complex European Parliament, in which many compromises must be made on policies. "The idea of compromise will take on a new meaning, but it increasingly seems to me that the central forces, those who have been building the European institutions for years - the EPP, social democrats and liberals - will find the right focus for European politics", Ilhan Kyuchyuk said. He shares the concerns that the far right and far left are gaining strength in the new parliament. "This is the most dangerous thing: people who come here, speak from the European rostrum and want to destroy the European project. We must oppose this with a powerful vote," he said.

In Kyuchyuk's words, the European Union must move towards the Western Balkans. "The geopolitical interest of the European Union is to expand. I think this is also the Bulgarian national interest: to have neighbours with whom we border, but also share common values such as the rule of law, the achievements of human rights and freedoms, where the right of every minority to self-determination is respected and we share a common welfare. The European Union guarantees this to the greatest extent," he said.

In response to a question about the need for reforms in the EU, the ALDE President pointed out that the EU is faced with a choice: either to continue to be a loose union, where decisions are made partly on a national level and partly in Brussels or Strasbourg, or to set a clear goal to have its own face, to work for its own citizens, and establish itself as a geopolitical factor.

According to the Bulgarian MEP, this means building its own capabilities, its own autonomy and its own face as a geopolitical player.

The MEP defines Schengen and eurozone membership as absolute priorities for Bulgaria. "In a union where different circles are increasingly taking shape, I am worried that if we are not part of Schengen and the euro area, we will drop out of the first circle, which will undoubtedly comprise of the fastest players, those who want to develop the most progressively will get the greatest opportunities," the MEP said.