site.btaEP President Metsola: “We Need Strong Bulgaria in Strong EU to Tackle Challenges Ahead”

“We need a strong Bulgaria in a strong European Union to tackle the challenges ahead,” European Parliament (EP) President Roberta Metsola said in a BTA interview in Brussels. She pointed out that Bulgaria has taken important steps to tackle illegal migration and boost security. In her words, the concerns of Member States about migration challenges have delayed expansion of the Schengen area “for too long”.

“I would caution against drawing early conclusions that might be unjustly stigmatising certain parts of the population and putting the blame on migration in general,” Metsola said in a comment on the Magdeburg attack. She argued that a swift and easy exchange of information and data between various authorities “will remain crucial in the fight against crime and terror”. 

Asked what she sees as the key challenges ahead of the EU in 2025, she mentioned first the war in Ukraine, then enhancing the effectiveness of the European security and defence architecture, the cost of living crisis, the need to advance the green and digital transitions. “Enlargement will also be an important issue in the coming years,” she said.

As for EU-US relations after the election of Donald Trump as president, Metsola argues that a trade war and higher tariffs benefit no one and ultimately consumers will have to foot the bill. “We need to be more bold in pushing our European interests - just as the Americans do,” she said. 

Following is the full interview: 

Mrs. Metsola, Bulgaria and Romania are full members of the Schengen Area as of today. Why did it take so long for the two countries to enter the European free movement area? And isn't Schengen under threat with a number of countries bringing back internal border controls?

The European Parliament has always been clear that Bulgaria and Romania belong in the Schengen area. We have championed full Schengen accession from day one, because we know that a stronger Schengen means a safer and more united Europe. I want to congratulate the people of Bulgaria and Romania, who have worked tirelessly and for so long to reach this point. Bulgaria has taken important steps to tackle illegal migration and boost security.

On the day the decision was taken (December 12), I had a few joyful Bulgarian colleagues telling me that this made them feel like a “100% European”. I was happy to be able to share this pride with them.

For the future of Schengen, I am confident that it will continue to deliver border and passport-free travel. With support from FRONTEX, we have strengthened our external borders and stepped up the fight against trafficker networks. Thanks to these efforts, we have seen a significant drop in irregular border crossings along the Western Balkan route.

We must continue safeguarding Schengen, one of Europe’s biggest crown jewels. Free movement and security of our borders are two sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other. That is why we must continue to address the concerns of Member States about migration challenges—concerns that have delayed the expansion of the Schengen area for too long. The adoption of the Asylum and Migration Pact was a big step forward, helping us secure our external borders. And the updated Schengen Borders Code provides a clear legal framework in case a temporary reintroduction of internal border controls becomes necessary - for example for security reasons. It now contains clearer deadlines and stricter monitoring and reporting obligations for Member States and the Commission. Now, it’s crucial for Member States to put these measures into practice and work together. Protecting Schengen is a joint responsibility. 

Bulgaria and Romania welcomed the new year with good news, but Europe sent off the old year with horror and sadness. The Magdeburg attack marred the winter holidays. It raised again criticism about security gaps and migration. How will the EU respond? What is your comment?

This brutal act of hatred and cowardice claimed the lives of innocent people and sent deep shockwaves across our continent and even beyond. It triggered waves of solidarity and a message of unity: that standing together, our societies will always be stronger than hatred and that violence will never prevail over our values of peace and freedom. 

The emergency services in Magdeburg did an outstanding job in taking care of the many injured and I am also encouraged to see that the German authorities are seriously investigating the causes behind this horrific attack. Above all, my thoughts are with the victims, their families and friends

I would caution against drawing early conclusions that might be unjustly stigmatizing certain parts of the population and putting the blame on migration in general. What is however clear, is that any kind of terrorism can never be accepted and that a swift and easy exchange of information and data between various authorities will remain crucial in the fight against crime and terror. 

In Europe, we have made great strides in enhancing our security framework, including strengthening cross-border data sharing through tools like the Schengen Information System, the EU Passenger Name Record Directive, by strengthening Europol, and improving the interoperability of databases for law enforcement. We have many of the tools in place but now we must also make sure authorities make use them. 

It is also key that social media platforms step up and help fight such acts of brutality. With the attacker posting threats on X, the Magdeburg attack has yet again raised serious questions about the responsibility of social media networks in reporting harmful content. This is not only a responsibility: it is law. I expect big social media networks to play by the rules and implement the Digital Services Act swiftly and to the full. The security of our people must always come first. The European Parliament will keep up the pressure to make sure that those breaking the rules and our laws are held to account.

You were the first leader of an EU institution to visit Ukraine after Russia`s full scale invasion in 2022. What will 2025 bring for Ukraine? Can we finally expect peace?

Ending this illegal and atrocious war remains an absolute priority for the European Parliament and the European Union. Europe has delivered on sanctions, substantial financial aid, and through our joint public procurement and ammunition production instruments. But sometimes we are too slow to act considering that in Ukraine people die every day in the war.

I went to Kyiv at the outbreak of the war in 2022 and the European Parliament immediately put the political spotlight on the need to stand with Ukraine. That spotlight is one people rely on us to keep shining as brightly as possible. We will continue to help Ukraine for as long as it takes. We will continue to stand for a real peace in Ukraine that is based on justice, on dignity and liberty. One that is based on Ukraine’s terms.

It has been nearly three years of war. I really hope that 2025 will be the year when we move towards and even achieve peace for Ukraine. It is crucial that we remain united, not just as Europe, but as an international community of like-minded partners.

This is your second term as a President of the European Parliament. But in a more divided, fragmented EP with more populist radical right voices in it. How will you fight back against the anti-European rhetoric that is being imposed so easily and quickly?

It is true that majorities have shifted after the last European elections. These majorities change depending on the specific issues at hand. But the European Parliament continues to form stable majorities through a consensus-based approach with the constructive, pro-European groups at the centre. And I do not see this changing. 

I have said before that I will work with anyone, who is serious about bringing Europe forward. Extremists push false simple answers to complex problems. We must counter these by offering real solutions that address people’s needs and deliver concrete results. This is how we win the trust of the voters back. If we do not deliver now, we will pay the price in 2029, at the end of this term.

Energy crisis, migration crisis, economic crisis: What will be the biggest challenges - for you and for Europe - in 2025 and how will you handle these?

Europe has always grown through crises. And the past five years have been no different: who would have thought that we would be able to procure COVID vaccines at the European level ensuring equal access for citizens in all member states? Who would have thought that we would be able to agree on an EUR 800 billion EU recovery package, financed through the EU budget? Or 15 packages of sanctions against Russia, agreed unanimously? There is one lesson from this: to be credible and successful we need unity and we need leadership. 

I want the legacy of this 10th European Parliament Legislature to be one of realism, resilience, and relevance. To achieve this, we must cut back on red tape and unnecessary bureaucracy that drive people and jobs away from Europe. The successes our citizens will remember, the moments that truly make a difference, are those where Europe made their lives easier. 

We have many challenges ahead. Firstly, the war in Ukraine. Not only is this a tragedy for the many people suffering and losing their lives in Ukraine but it also is an ongoing security threat to the whole of the EU, our democratic system, our stability, our values and the European way of life. That is why, in the coming years, while we will keep on supporting Ukraine. We will also need to enhance the effectiveness of our European security and defence architecture, in cooperation with NATO.

Secondly, we will need to address the cost of living crisis by returning Europe to a stable path for growth and creating quality jobs. This means boosting the EU’s competitiveness by increasing productivity and speeding up investments. It also means advancing the green and digital transitions, but in a way that does not leave anyone behind and does not overburden our companies and industries. And the Digital Services Act needs to be implemented to protect citizens and elections against potential outside interference. People, not bots, should decide on the future of their country.

Enlargement will also be an important issue in the coming years. Not only for Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans, but for all of us. Because while it is true that enlargement remains our strongest geopolitical tool and that it will make us stronger, it will also require us to change and reform. What works for an EU of 27 will not work for an EU of 32, 33 or 35 Member States. It is therefore a two-way street: enlargement countries need to reform, but also the EU needs to reform, so we are ready to grow.

From energy and trade to finance and defence, how will Donald Trump's second presidency impact EU policies? How do you see EU-US relations after the election of Donald Trump as president? 

The people of the United States have elected their new president and he will take office in a few days. We will work closely with the new Administration, to strengthen our transatlantic bond in every area, be it in the field of security, trade, jobs or defence. What is important is that we move from “America elects, Europe reacts” to “Europe acts.”

Europe is ready and we have what it takes. What we sometimes lack is the political will to follow through: to learn, adapt and reform. And we need to be more bold in pushing our European interests - just as the Americans do. After all, that is why people have voted for us, to stand up for their interests.

A trade war, with higher tariffs, benefits no one and ultimately consumers will have to foot the bill. Nevertheless, we must be prepared and ready for any eventuality.

I hope it will not come to this because we can only address global challenges if we work together. I look forward to restarting the dialogue with my counterpart in the US congress once the new administration is in place. And I will always focus on what unites us, not what might divide us.

Mrs. Metsola, you are a good friend of Bulgaria. When can we expect you to visit?

Bulgaria is an important partner and a friend. I value very much the many Bulgarian colleagues with whom I work in the European Parliament, including in my private office. I very much hope to visit your beautiful country very soon. We need a strong Bulgaria in a strong European Union to tackle the challenges ahead. 

You are the youngest ever EP President. First women for 2 executive terms. Mom of 4. You like watching Tom and Jerry with your children, you like cooking. What is there that we don't know about you outside of the cameras and the spotlight?

If I have the time, I like to read and I like to write. I have even tried my hand at playwriting once - never published or read by anyone apart from myself, I have to admit. But above all, spending valuable time with my family is the most precious thing for me. 

I say Europe, you say...hope.

I say Bulgaria, you say...friendship.

I say 2025, you say...stability.