"Today is a day of tribute to the few remaining Bulgarian veterans, participants in the Second World War, to the thousands of Bulgarians who participated in this war, to the thousands who gave their lives for the victory over Nazism. Thanks to their self-sacrifice, the way to today's peaceful and united Europe was opened.
On Europe Day, let us wish for a European Union that is even more actively engaged and contributes even more effectively to the development of the member states. I expect the EU to be more actively involved in affirming the principles of democracy and respect for human rights, the rule of law in the countries of the Western Balkans, which have declared their ambitions to join the European Union," said President Rumen Radev, quoted by BNT.
He expressed expectation that in the upcoming election campaign for the European Parliament, a meaningful debate on the future of Europe will be heard.
"Let everyone who claims to represent Bulgaria in the EP state clear positions on how they will contribute to the progress of the entire EU, but also to the protection of Bulgarian national interests in terms of the scale and speed of the transition to a green economy, termination of the war between Russia and Ukraine", added Radev.
He called on all parties to make a systematic effort to ensure that the campaign for elections to a national parliament does not completely silence and displace the debate on the future of a united Europe.