GERB/EPP MEP Emil Radev defended his decision to join the initiative committee that nominated Iliyana Yotova for president. In “Offensive with Lyubo Ognyanov“ he stated that he sees no contradiction between his support for her candidacy and his membership in GERB, since the party does not have its own candidate in the presidential elections.
“There is no internal contradiction, because in these elections the GERB party decided that it will not nominate a candidate. We do not have our own candidate. If we had one, I would work for it and actively campaign“, said Radev.
He explained that after receiving the invitation from Yotova, he first notified GERB leader Boyko Borisov and the party leadership. According to him, he also waited for the final decision not to enter the presidential race with its candidate.
“Of course, we discussed this invitation with Mr. Borisov. We waited to see what the party's decision would be. Without the approval of the leadership - I have been in this party for 20 years - I would never act on my own“, the MEP emphasized.
Radev explained his decision with the impressions gained from their joint work in the European Parliament. According to him, the two worked on topics related to Schengen, the mechanism for monitoring Bulgaria and Romania, and e-justice.
„I see in her a very dialogical person. I see a person who goes beyond narrow party interests. We worked together very well in the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs,“ Radev said.
He recalled that at that time Yotova was part of the Socialist group, and he was from the European People's Party, but according to him, their political differences did not hinder their joint work.
„Whenever it came to Bulgaria's interests, Iliyana Yotova was one of the partners with whom we managed, together with other colleagues, to promote the Bulgarian interest. And we succeeded - we removed the monitoring, Bulgaria entered Schengen“, he said.
The MEP also commented on the fact that representatives of various political forces, including figures from the left, participate in the initiative committee for Yotova. “The fact that I have joined to support the majoritarian candidate Iliyana Yotova in no way brings us closer ideologically. I am a right-wing person. Here we vote for majoritarian candidates“, Radev said.
He stressed that his support is personal and does not mean a change in his political affiliation. “I have allowed myself to support a person whose qualities I am truly convinced of and a person who works for the interests of Bulgaria. The fact that we have ideological differences in policies and foreign policy in no way belittles the qualities of Iliyana Yotova“, said Radev.
When asked whether his decision could lead to a break with GERB, the MEP was categorical that he had no such intention. “I have been in GERB for 20 years. This is the only party I have been a member of. I think that as long as I am involved in politics, I will remain a member of GERB“, he said.
According to him, his participation in the initiative committee does not violate the party's statute and is not an action taken without the knowledge of its leadership. Radev also commented on GERB's decision not to nominate its own candidate. According to him, it is not a strategic mistake. He pointed out that the party is focusing on the upcoming local elections.
Asked why he chose Yotova instead of Andrey Gyurov, Radev again referred to his joint work with her. “Iliyana Yotova has overcome narrow party interests and continues to work in the interests of Bulgaria“, he said.
At the same time, Radev criticized the political force from which Gyurov comes, accusing its representatives of having sent signals to European institutions over the years in defense of domestic political positions. This is a political assessment of the MEP.
On the EU partnership with Canada
The conversation also discussed the State of the European Union speech by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the idea of a new type of partnership with countries such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand. According to Radev, such a rapprochement would be useful not only for the European economy, but also for security. "The European Union needs partners who are predictable, who play by the rules, who don't impose surprise tariffs or threaten to stop trade. Of course, one of those partners is Canada," he said.
According to him, the potential partnership could also encompass education, student exchange and security. “The challenges facing the European Union in recent years have been too many - we are talking about external threats, immigration, war, dealing with hybrid attacks. So all this will make the European Union much stronger“, Radev believes.
On Ukraine: The EU must be at the negotiating table
The MEP also commented on the war in Ukraine. According to him, the EU has an interest in achieving peace as quickly as possible, but it must also participate in the negotiation process itself. “All of us, the entire European Union, want peace to finally be achieved in Ukraine. But we see that this has not happened for the fifth year. We support the just Ukrainian cause“, Radev said.
He pointed to the economic consequences and the refugee flow as part of the effects that the war has on EU countries. “We want a quick peace, the European Union at the negotiating table, because we cannot just tolerate the negatives and be excluded from the negotiation process. We want a future on Europe's borders that will guarantee security and stability for years to come“, said the MEP.
When asked whether military support for Kiev should be reduced, Radev answered negatively. “Until the end of the war, military aid to Ukraine should be what we promised to give. This is also an investment in the security of the European Union“, he said.
According to the MEP, the war has shown the weaknesses in Europe's defense readiness and the need for the EU to invest more in its own capabilities.