“Currently, the political situation and the calming of political instability in Bulgaria provide an opportunity for reforms. If this moment is missed and serious reforms are not made, we will increasingly deepen and break away from our civilizational choice“. This was said by MEP Ilhan Küçük during his participation in the program “Referendum“ on BNT.
Regarding the upcoming negotiations for the next Multiannual Financial Framework of the EU, Küçük pointed out that Bulgaria must simultaneously defend traditional European policies and actively participate in the development of the new priorities of the Union.
„Bulgaria must seek its place in both directions - the traditional understanding of the Common Agricultural Policy should be preserved in the budget, as well as support under the Structural and Cohesion Funds, but at the same time our country must be a strong participant in the formation of new European policies“, he said.
According to Ilhan Küçük, the EU is gradually moving away from the previous model of allocating funds and is placing an increasing emphasis on competitiveness and the implementation of specific reforms.
„Over the years of easy money, we have become accustomed to the fact that something is set aside for Bulgaria. But Europe is moving away from this approach to the competitiveness approach, because priorities and global dynamics require it. The general principle of European budgeting is: money for reforms“, the MEP noted.
He gave an example of the changes in anti-corruption legislation in our country and its connection with access to European funding under the PIP, emphasizing the need for Bulgaria to insist on clear criteria and predictability in the assessment of reforms.
In the context of the changing security environment, Ilhan Küçük also emphasized the need for the EU to strengthen its defense capacity.
“The old priorities must be preserved, but the EU must also be a Defense Union. The US has clearly stated that it is gradually reducing its commitment to the European continent. Europe cannot be absent from the conversation about the global security architecture“, he pointed out.
According to him, Bulgaria has the potential to play an important regional role in the process of European integration of the Western Balkan countries. “Bulgaria should and can be a connector with the Western Balkan countries. With our experience, we can show both the opportunities we have taken advantage of as a country and the mistakes we have made during these 19 years of membership in the European Union“, said Küçük.