site.btaMEP Andrey Novakov: Ursula von der Leyen Will Be Elected EC President, Be It Not with Majority She Deserves

Ursula von der Leyen will be elected President of the European Commission, be it not with the majority she deserves, MEP Andrey Novakov of Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) said in a BTA interview. According to him, if she is not elected, Pandora's box will opened and the European project will be shaken.

The politician also expressed hope that the Bulgarian MEPs won't transfer to the EP the tension from the national parliament.

"This is not a place where such relations thrive. Very often we have to vote on decisions that are important for Bulgaria and just because in our country one's parliamentary group has a conflict with another group does not mean that one should bring it here. We have some very good examples in this direction in the last two mandates: the rose oil, Schengen, the euro area, the Mobility Package. These are all things that all 17 of us have stood behind, solidly, and have achieved success. I sincerely believe that this will continue in the future and the new colleagues will quickly shake off the habits from Bulgaria", said Novakov.  

He expressed the opinion that if Bulgaria has a regular government, it can realistically expect to join Schengen by land in 2025. 

Asked if he is the next Bulgarian Commissioner, he said that whoever is nominated, would have the qualities. "This is a decision that the Council of Ministers will take and it is quite early to make such predictions. There are many people who deserve and have the capabilities, knowledge and skills to do well." 

Following is the full interview:

We saw that the election of the President of the new European Parliament went smoothly. Will it be the same with the election of the President of the European Commission? Your colleagues said earlier this morning that literally every vote is important and the outcome is not a foregone conclusion. 

The election was not a foregone conclusion for Mrs Roberta Metsola either. With the qualities that she has demonstrated over the last two and a half years vis-à-vis each of us, she has earned our trust. She has also won the confidence of many other political parties, which means that the person has qualities worthy of the position. 

I would like to say here that Mrs Ursula von der Leyen is, of course, in no way inferior. She has led the European Commission through five very difficult and complicated years: two wars, inflation, the migrant crisis, high fuel prices, high electricity prices. That had a price. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why colleagues are saying something that is true: it will be very difficult. But, as they like to say here, there is a reason why the vote is anonymous. Everyone is left alone with their conscience. But let’s be honest: if we do not choose her, what next? The truth is that Pandora's box will be opened. Here, Eurosceptic parties will grow wings. I believe that would undermine the European project and the procedure for electing this President in the future. However, I think that she will be elected, even if it is not with the majority that she probably deserves.

Since we are talking about elections, you are running for coordinator in the regional development committee. Why is this important for Bulgaria? 

First of all, this is the committee that allocates 1/3 of the budget of the European Union, all the funds, programmes and financial instruments that the municipalities in Bulgaria, the non-governmental sector, universities, small and medium-sized businesses can apply for, a huge resource. It is something that Bulgaria unfortunately is not handling well at times. From this point of view, it was important for the country to get this position. I hope that tonight I will have the support of my colleagues and I will continue to be the coordinator.  

If we talk beyond Bulgaria and the borders, if there is something that unites the European Union, it is cohesion: easy to understand, something you can touch. When you see a tramway between two separate countries, built with European money, you understand that the European Union is there every morning when you go to work and every evening when you come home. No borders, no roaming fees, available transport. This is the European Union, and it is time for Bulgarians to experience it, and this will only happen with European investment funds.

How will you work with the new and old Bulgarian colleagues, given this division, according to some, in the European Parliament and given the ongoing and deepening political crisis in our country? Is it possible that what is happening in the National Assembly will start to happen here and that they will reflect on the important decisions? 

You seem to have attended a meeting of the Bulgarian delegation yesterday. Those were my exact words: I hope we do not take this from the National Assembly to the European Parliament. This is not a place in which such relations thrive. Very often, we have to vote on things that are important for Bulgaria, and just because in our country one’s parliamentary group is fighting with another group does not mean that you should bring the same kind of relations here. We have some very good examples in that direction. The last two mandates: the rose oil, Schengen, the eurozone, the Mobility Package, all things that all 17 of us stood behind and achieved success. I want to believe that it will continue in the future and that colleagues will quickly shake off the habits they have from Bulgaria.

Are you optimistic for Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen by land? What could hold us back, apart from Austria? 

What could trip us up now is Bulgaria, in the first place. The problem is mostly in Sofia, not in Vienna. If there is a regular government that can negotiate, I can tell you that it is realistic to expect our membership in Schengen in 2025. If that does not happen, I do not see how it could happen without a regular government. 

The work of the 17 of us who are here in the European Parliament is also very important, because the pressure that we generate by voting on a resolution here and the calls that we make to the European Council also have an impact.

Will we see sharp turns in this Parliament, on issues like the war in Ukraine, the Green Deal? 

I hope there will be a turn on the Green Deal, not a very sharp one though. It has become clear that the ambition was not measured and that the targets we set ourselves are not in line with the means of the average household in Europe, that there has been no consideration of what is happening outside this Green Deal: migration, war, a second war, energy prices, fuel prices, food prices, the burden that European farmers took. And we have seen what the result was. That is why I believe that there needs to be a pullback, a slightly more relaxed approach, in line with each country's capabilities. You cannot say to people, 'We are going to be green and poor'. 

You listed the main problems of the European Union a moment ago. We know that the problems of Bulgarian and Romanian road carriers are getting worse. Are you thinking of seeking support from your Romanian colleagues and what will be your next moves? 

I have become a member of the Transport Committee. There is an intention to seek support from all those who are inside this committee, by the end of the year the European Court of Justice will rule, I believe in our favour, declaring disproportionate the vehicle and driver return measures that so hamper Bulgarian business. This would mean that our efforts would be crowned with success after 6-7 years of struggle.

I remember at the end of last year you took one tour of the problematic borders in Europe. Are you planning a similar action and go, for example, to the Danube Bridge? We see that the situation there is quite complicated now. 

Last month I was in Vidin, on Danube Bridge 2. There was tension there, which was caused by the queues formed as a result of the reduced capacity, including on the Romanian side. What I found out at the time was that more than 30 people had been fired there and new people had been recruited who were having difficulty getting used to the work. And people are not always right to blame the Bulgarian side, the Bulgarian border guards, the Bulgarian car parks. I was in Ruse a little later. I will not stop. I am glad that the drivers recognise me as someone they can trust. That comes at a price, of course. We are constantly in contact. But I like it and we'll stay together in the same team. 

Will we see you as the next Bulgarian Commissioner? 

I am sure that whoever is nominated would have the qualities. This is a decision that the Council of Ministers will take. It is quite early to make such predictions at the moment. There are many people who deserve and have the capabilities, knowledge and skills to do well.