site.btaEuropean Commissioner Ivanova: Frequent Changes of Government Do Not Send Good Message

The European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Iliana Ivanova, holds that it is important for Bulgaria to be stable, to inspire trust in its EU partners, and to be aware that frequent changes of government and frequent elections do not send a good message. Speaking on Bulgarian National Television on Friday, Ivanova commented on a range of issues, including the country's planned accession to the eurozone, the completion of the process of achieving full membership of the Schengen area, and the recent European Parliament elections.

She said that the latest convergence report published by the European Commission shows that Bulgaria is positioned best among the countries waiting to be admitted to the eurozone. She noted: "We are closer to eurozone membership than ever before, but we need to meet all four criteria. The inflation criterion remains unfulfilled for now. According to economic forecasts, the gap between the inflation level in Bulgaria and the average EU rate is narrowing and is expected to be filled completely by the end of this year or the beginning of next year."

Discussing Schengen, Ivanova said that both Bulgaria and the European Commission have stated that the country meets all accession requirements. It is up to the EU Council to make the decision, she added.

Bulgaria has so far received only one payment from the EU under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, which was effected late in 2022, according to Ivanova. "We have absorbed just a tiny fraction of this sum of EUR 6 billion," she said, adding that a second payment should have been made long ago. "If we followed the plan at a normal pace, we would be somewhere around the fourth payment by now. The implementation of the plan depends on the fulfillment of key stages and goals. Unless Bulgaria completes these measures, stages, goals and investments, it is impossible to receive a payment," Ivanova said.

The European Parliament elections a month ago clearly showed a deficit of trust among EU citizens, she said, taking a question about the antidote to Euro-skepticism. "It is important to maintain clear communication and explain to the citizens what we are doing, and point to concrete benefits and results to make them see how their lives are improved," Ivanova argued.