MEP Taner Kabilov Identifies Bulgaria's Full-fledged Accession to Schengen, Eurozone as Main Priority

Speaking in an interview with BTA during the European Parliament's plenary session in Strasbourg on Wednesday, MEP Taner Kabilov (Movement for Rights and Freedoms/Renew Europe) identified Bulgaria's full-fledged accession to the Schengen area and the eurozone as a main priority.

He outlined regional development and transport as his top "personal" priorities.

Kabilov noted that, reflecting the positions of Renew Europe and MRF, the MEPs will work for a more secure and competitive European Union and a better developed democracy. He added that the latter cannot happen "without absolute categorical help for Ukraine" as "it is clear who is the aggressor and who is the victim".

Commenting on the European Green Deal, the MEP said that it will be among the topics that "will have to adapt to the new realities". Noting that the Greens, as its advocates, suffered losses in the European elections in June, Kabilov said that the Green Deal will have to be revisited and improved as a concept.

Asked how balance would be achieved within the new European Parliament, he said that it would not be easy because there are "certain dividing lines between different groups". Kabilov noted that striking balance and finding compromise will require considerable political manoeuvring skills. The MEP was hopeful that constructive dialogue will be fostered so work will be done in the best interest of European citizens.

Responding to a question about the possible impact the situation in MRF might have on the work of MEPs, Kabilov said that the work of MRF cannot be regarded as a separate element in the overall national political situation or crisis in general. He stressed that there are no insurmountable challenges and that all can be resolved through a serious dialogue.

Following is the full text of the interview with Taner Kabilov.

Could you share with our viewers and readers the atmosphere in which the European Parliament begаn work?

In a seemingly calm atmosphere. Of course, some votes passed with clear majorities, certain political lines were followed and so on. EP bodies are beginning to be formed. So I would say it is a seemingly calm atmosphere. But we will definitely watch going forward how it develops, because the vote of the European citizens itself has shown within this Parliament how the powers are distributed.

This is your first term. What will be your main priorities? 

Of course, we will work for Bulgaria to join Schengen and the eurozone. Full accession. Outside of that, if you are asking about me personally, we will try to work more on regional development as a topic we are interested in.

And in a more general aspect, reflecting the positions of Renew Europe and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, we will work for a more secure European Union, more competitive in terms of economic realities in this dynamic geopolitical world and of course in the direction of having a better developed democracy, which cannot pass without the absolute categorical help for Ukraine, where it is clear who is the aggressor and who is the victim. Because there we have a battle of democracy with the authoritarian model in a global aspect.

I will be working more actively in the direction of regional development, as it seems that I will be working in this field in the committee, and I will also be working on transport as the topics that are most likely to be assigned to us. But as MEPs and representatives of Bulgaria, we must follow all the topics and, together with my colleagues, I am confident that we will do so in order to defend Bulgaria's national interest on all possible topics.

You say transport, and this is also about the Green Deal. Do you expect any changes there?

It will certainly be a subject that will have to adapt to the new realities. The Greens themselves suffered losses in the last election, so the Green Deal as a concept will have to undergo its own rethinking, analysis and improvements in its outline. But these are themes we have yet to develop in the Parliament.

How do you plan to achieve balance and compromise?

It will be difficult. When I say difficult, I mean certain dividing lines between different groups. For example, the Renew group drew a clear dividing line with the far right. In fact the far left formations even called it a sanitary cordone. So it won't be easy but it will require some serious skills for political manoeuvering. Such as, of course, colleagues in the European Parliament, especially those with more experience,  have. So I remain optimistic that the right form of dialogue will be found, a constructive form of dialogue, that will work in the best interest of of European citizens.

Domestically, how will the situation in the MRF affect the work of MEPs?

We cannot consider the work of the MRF as a separate thing, in the overall national situation, politics-wise and the crisis in general. The image of our country, given that we are probably heading for another snap election, does not look good. But I continue to be optimistic in my position, both official position and personally, and I know that there are no unsolvable issues in politics, no insurmountable issues. It's all a matter of really constructive dialogue that has to take place, if you like internally within the party, if you like nationally. And, finally, there is this idea: we all have to be content in our discontent in order to keep moving forward.