Vitanov on Yoncheva and DPS: It's a surprise for me, but it's an assessment of her work

What is the balance sheet of the Bulgarian MEPs for the past mandate – what did they get done and what didn't they have enough time for? Euronews Bulgaria anchor Diana Radeva is in Strasbourg, where the last session of this European Parliament is taking place. She spoke with Petar Vitanov – MEP from the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, and with Andrey Kovachev, MEP from EPP, about the leading priorities for Europe and expectations before the European elections. Before that, however, the two commented on Elena Yoncheva's decision to run for a new mandate in the European Parliament from the DPS list.

“It was surprising to me. This is Ms. Yoncheva's judgment, but I am still glad that her work has been appreciated, and beyond the framework of our political family. The GERB model is also a DPS model – they work in sync and symbiosis. My entry into politics was precisely to end this model of governance. Personally, I would have concerns, but I also understand Elena, because she ultimately made a huge effort to get her work noticed. She was a very active member of the group of socialists, she dealt with some of the most key issues, such as migration,” commented Vitanov.

“I have worked well with Mrs. Yoncheva, she judged that way, I have nothing to comment on, except that I am extremely surprised,“ said Kovachev.

He also commented on the achievements of the EP during the past 5-year mandate.

“We have worked on many topics, the European Health Area, investing more European funds in the development of successful therapies for oncological and cardiovascular infectious diseases. The added value of the EU, for which I worked, in the field of health care is something that benefits each one of us”, commented the EPP MEP and added that among other achievements of the EP are the unified charger, as well as the regulations of the large social platforms like Meta.

“What I worked for was solidarity after the Covid-19 pandemic. The EU showed solidarity because they managed to get all countries to buy the same vaccines at the same prices, at the same time. It was a sign of European solidarity. The Just Transition Mechanism and the Recovery and Resilience Plan enabled the transformation of member countries' economies. Artificial intelligence is a very important topic, it has many benefits, but also risks, the EP was a pioneer in the regulation and minimization of risks and the promotion of technologies,” commented Vitanov.