„We, from the BSP, are consistent. We did not want these planes at the “Vrazhdebna“ airport and we do not want them at Bezmer either. The very fact of their presence, especially now, when it is explicitly stated that they are in support of the operation in the Middle East, indirectly means that Bulgaria is supporting a war that is not ours, not NATO's and not the European Union's. This is a war with unclear goals.“ This was stated by the Bulgarian MEP from the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Christian Vigenin, in the program “Face to Face“ on bTV.
According to him, Bulgaria is in an extremely complex international environment and every decision has both foreign and domestic political consequences: “If you have a national position, it must be very solidly motivated. Spain refused the United States the use of its military bases for this war. There are other countries that rejected this operation. We are getting into two trouble spots at the same time and therefore things must be done extremely smartly and carefully.“ According to him, Bulgaria has the right to seek a different foreign policy approach without isolating itself, but it must be argued and consistently defended both to European partners and to Bulgarian society.
Commenting on the Kiev Declaration, Vigenin emphasized that the essential question is not whether there is a signature on the document, but that Bulgaria participated in the common position and its name is present in the declaration.
„Obviously, the government is trying to reposition Bulgaria without isolating itself. But this requires a very wise approach to this type of message both internally and externally. It seemed more like we were trying to sit on two chairs, rather than sitting on one different chair.“ According to him, the problem is both political and communicational, because the public has the right to know what position Bulgaria defended and what reservations were expressed.
Regarding the sanctions against Russia, the MEP recalled the consistent position of the BSP that only sanctions and military supplies to Ukraine cannot lead to the desired political result. “After each package of sanctions, we explain how they will lead to the collapse of the Russian economy. We have been waiting for this to happen for 12 years. It is not serious. We must look for other approaches.“ According to him, there are already signs that the understanding of the need to restore political dialogue is also growing among European leaders, and the question is no longer whether there should be a dialogue, but who should lead it.
Vigenin said that he sees a desire for change and positive intentions in the work of the government, but there is still a lack of a sufficiently clear program, specific deadlines and measurable goals. Decisions such as the change in the mechanism for setting the minimum wage, according to him, raise serious questions.
According to him, the first steps against the oligarchic model are a positive signal, but removing two of its bearers from the NSO cars is not enough. Real change requires consistent institutional reforms. “Society expects real action in the judicial system, transparency in the spending of public funds and a consistent dismantling of the model against which the rulers have received a public mandate. Both I personally and the BSP will stand behind any decision that leads to the dismantling of this model and the construction of a truly democratic and social state“, commented Christian Vigenin.
In response to a question about the intention of the ruling party to take away the BSP headquarters, the MEP was categorical that political ideas do not depend on the buildings, but on the people who defend them: “The ideas that we defend, that we stand behind, do not necessarily need a party headquarters in the center. If necessary, we will meet in the meadows. We have done it, we will do it and we have been in more difficult situations. We have coped. They will not scare us by taking away our headquarters. Nor will they shut us up, if that is the idea. So there is no need to worry. The ideas that we stand behind will exist, regardless of whether we have a headquarters or not. And the people will support them.“
For contact with the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament: https://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/
