Bulgaria is perceived as a stable and reliable partner by the European institutions and the leaders of the European People's Party, despite the ongoing domestic political turbulence. This was stated by the MEP from GERB-EPP Emil Radev in the studio of “Offensive with Lyubo Ognyanov“, in a comment on the attitudes in Brussels towards the upcoming early parliamentary elections in our country.
According to him, the trust in our country is clearly visible from the meetings held by the leader of GERB Boyko Borisov with key European figures, including the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. “Bulgaria has been placed on the big European map and this is the result of the consistent policy of GERB and EPP“, emphasized Radev.
Rosen Zhelyazkov accepted and returned the mandate of GERB-SDF to form a cabinet
The MEP stated that the European partners hope that Bulgaria will have a stable government after the elections, recalling the results of the management of the “Zhelyazkov“ cabinet. Among them, he highlighted economic growth of over 3%, a gross domestic product of about 130 billion euros and over 63 billion euros of European funds reaching businesses, municipalities and citizens, as well as the restoration of the Recovery and Resilience Plan.
According to Radev, despite the processes of Euroscepticism in part of Europe, Bulgarian society continues to support EU membership. "People in our country trust the European Union and are happy that Bulgaria is part of it," he said, adding that membership in the eurozone would further strengthen trust in European institutions.
On the topic of the ban on the import of Russian natural gas from 2027, Emil Radev explained why Bulgaria abstained from voting. He pointed out that our country has concerns related to the increased administrative burden and the risk of arbitration cases, as gas transit to other countries such as Serbia and Hungary passes through its territory.
According to him, the transit via "Balkan Stream" also includes gas from third countries, which allows Bulgaria to protect its economic interest. Radev did not rule out the possibility of future derogations for some member states.
Regarding the expiring derogation for the Burgas refinery, the MEP expressed moderate optimism that it could be extended if all commitments are met to ensure that the funds from the operation do not reach the Russian state. According to him, this would prevent negative effects such as an increase in fuel prices.
Emil Radev also commented on the negotiations for a possible acquisition of “Lukoil“ by an American company, emphasizing that although the process is long and complex, it is important for Bulgaria that the strategic asset be owned by a company from an allied country.
Assoc. Prof. Emil Radev foresees a tough political campaign
Regarding the criticism of Bulgaria's inclusion in the so-called Peace Council, initiated by the Donald Trump administration, Radev stated that the European Union does not have a common decision on the topic and Bulgaria has not violated European unity. He emphasized that these are efforts for peace and dialogue, mainly related to the conflict in the Middle East.
The MEP described our country's participation as a positive step and an expression of support for the Bulgarian diplomat Nikolay Mladenov. According to him, the initiative is in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2803 and is about to be ratified by the National Assembly.
Watch the entire conversation in the video.
Source: nova.bg