Europe is facing a number of challenges - the war in Ukraine, economic competitiveness, the agreement with MERCOSUR and the expansion of the European Union to the Western Balkans. How do these processes look from the perspective of a Bulgarian MEP and what do he think are the risks facing European policies? MEP from “Vazrazhdane“ Stanislav Stoyanov, who is also the vice-chairman of the “Europe of Sovereign Nations“ group in the European Parliament, spoke to FACTI on these topics. Stoyanov was among the participants in the press conference of the “Europe of Sovereign Nations“ group in the European Parliament.
– Mr. Stoyanov, where is Europe heading from the perspective of an MEP? The MERCOSUR agreement – why was it signed now, a lot of financial aid is being sent to Ukraine. What are the important issues facing the European Union and is it going in the right direction?
– Europe is not on the right track, because the problems facing European citizens are increasing, and solutions are absent. This is the short answer. Of course, I will give a few examples. Right now in Europe we are seeing arguments about what is happening in Ukraine, about the measures and about the aid. This is a major topic. But Europe is not on the right track, because the problems facing European citizens are increasing, and solutions are not being sought. Look, we have not been able to find a solution to the conflict in Ukraine for four years now. We see that the European Parliament is looking for solutions by imposing sanctions and financial assistance to Ukraine at the expense of European countries and European citizens.
– In this case, the United States is providing weapons, and Europe is paying for them. Is that how the situation looks?
– You could say that. And it wouldn't be wrong, because that's the situation. What's even more disturbing is that common loans are being written out, taken not at the member state level, but at the European Union level - collective loans. The European Union takes them. This started as a fashion during Covid, but Covid passed - and the practice remained. Somehow, an idea is imposed that we are moving towards a federalization of the EU - to become the United States of Europe. It's just that the member states have not given their consent to certain processes that are taking place. No one has asked Bulgarians whether they want to live in a common European state, in which Bulgaria would be just one province or state. This is part of the problem. There are also many economic problems. The economies of European countries are going downhill, are not competitive enough and are increasingly suffocating against the backdrop of the global economy. The European Union's share of the world's gross domestic product is steadily declining, because in the late 1980s it was significantly larger than it is now - nearly twice as much, and we see how it has shrunk literally drastically in a relatively short period.
– Are the European institutions able to offer adequate solutions to these challenges?
– Solutions need to be found, but we don't see them. The problems are visible - in agriculture, in transport, in geopolitics, and there are no solutions. The failures in finding solutions for Ukraine and Iran show a lack of diplomatic initiatives and a lack of dialogue. This is extremely worrying.
– What should be the role of Europe in international relations?
– Much more is expected from European countries, from the EU as a whole. We need to be much more active at the EU level, because Europe has much more to offer to world relations through serious diplomatic initiatives. We see the Russian and American presidents meeting, and Europe seems to have no right to do the same. Almost everyone who meets with a representative of the Russian Federation will be condemned. Without dialogue and without diplomacy, how can we reach a solution? All this is very worrying.
– From the “Europe of sovereign nations“ you do not like the agreement with MERCOSUR, which has been in the works for decades and is now being finalized. Why now?
– The European Union's relations with the world powers have proven problematic. Relations with Russia are practically at a standstill. There are also many problems with China. One day we hear how China is a great adversary of the European Union, then we hear how we need to improve our relations with it because we are dependent. China is not seen as a friend in the European Union. Problems with the United States have also sharply worsened. And then at one point – understand now, the European Union began to sign agreements that had been brewing for years. Work has been underway on MERCOSUR since the late 1980s. Now suddenly several agreements have been signed in a very short time and several more are being worked on. The European Union rushed to make agreements in order to guarantee trade relations and partnerships. But whether these are good agreements – this is a very controversial issue.
– What are the main criticisms of the agreement with MERCOSUR?
– The agreement with MERCOSUR has caused great disappointment among European farmers.
– Yes, there were even protests in Brussels….
– That's right. The reason is that European farmers have to comply with numerous requirements and standards, which makes their produce more expensive and more difficult to sell and less competitive. At the same time, the European Union is opening the doors wide to produce from countries and industries that do not comply with the same standards. This is a serious problem for European agriculture.
– Supporters of the agreement claim that it will bring economic benefits. Do you see any?
– Of course, someone will say that there may be benefits for the economy. For example, certain industries may increase their exports - the automotive industry, mechanical engineering and other sectors. But agriculture is an extremely important sector and requires special attention. A balance must be found and the security and sustainability of European agriculture must be guaranteed, because without our own production in Europe we cannot count on long-term stability.
– You sharply criticize the way the European Commission is handling the agreement with MERCOSUR. What exactly do you mean?
– After the deal with MERCOSUR became clear, it was sent for an opinion to the Court of Justice of the European Union. However, the European Commission, citing certain loopholes, decided to start implementing it immediately. That is, the EC ignored the objections and concerns expressed in the European Parliament. In practice, the deal is starting to be implemented while the case is still being considered by the court. This is very unacceptable for European farmers, but at the same time it is very indicative of the way things are happening in the European Union. The door remains open and we will see how everything will develop.
– Let's move a little to the Balkans. What is the current situation regarding the report on North Macedonia in the European Parliament?
– The report has been released in a working version. It was voted on in committee and is about to be voted on in the plenary hall of the European Parliament. From a Bulgarian perspective, we can say that the report is good and it takes into account some important things for Bulgaria. It was commented that falsifying history is not acceptable and that it should be based on official documents and facts. At the same time, some very important elements were noted – that the Bulgarians should be included in the Constitution of North Macedonia, as well as the operation of Protocol No. 2, which is extremely important because it describes in great detail the commitments that North Macedonia has made in the Good Neighborhood Agreement on its path to membership in the European Union.
– And what signals are coming to the European Parliament from Skopje?
– A delegation from the European Council recently visited Skopje, and the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Hristijan Mickoski, once again stated after the meeting that he does not accept and will not take a path that he described as "adventurous", and that he has no intention of making reforms in this direction. Translated into simpler language, this means that North Macedonia does not intend to fulfill the commitments that previous governments in Skopje have made. This, of course, directly concerns Bulgaria, because the Bulgarian community there is in a very difficult situation. You know about the attacks against Bulgarians and against Bulgarian clubs. These are serious violations of human rights and we are fighting to ensure that Bulgarians in North Macedonia can live normally, because at the moment this is very difficult. However, we see that the government of North Macedonia has no intention of working in this direction.
– Do you expect a breakthrough on the topic at the European level?
– Yes, in my opinion, such a process is already beginning. In the European Parliament, people are starting to understand that there is a serious problem there. And this problem is not only between Bulgaria and North Macedonia. In Brussels, they understood the situation very clearly. More and more representatives are expressing the position that we also defend - that North Macedonia must carry out its reforms and that the government in Skopje has made commitments that must be fulfilled. Failure to comply with these commitments cannot be tolerated.