Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov hopes that Bulgaria will do what it takes to join the Schengen area of free movement. "We need to do our homework," Denkov told Bulgarian journalists in Brussels on Monday.
He is in the Belgian capital for a two-day EU-CELAC summit, which brings together EU leaders and leaders from the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.
Denkov has talked with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte. "We exchanged a few words. Both of them said, keep working on the points we have discussed," the Bulgarian government leader said.
By early September, it should be clear what exactly Rutte's government will be able to do after taking on a caretaker role, Denkov said. "According to early information, they will be entitled to work on the subject which is of interest to us," he added.
In the meantime, Bulgaria should adopt an anti-corruption law and start working on constitutional amendments, because the Netherlands is interested mainly in the fight against corruption. "We need to step up the work on the borders and invite experts from both countries [the Netherlands and Austria] to see for themselves what is going on," Denkov said.
He went on to note: "If Bulgaria meets the recommendations in the European Commission's rule-of-law report, it will be in a very strong position to present the work it has done and to insist that there are no more reasons to be held back on the path to Schengen. There may be another mission of EU experts this autumn to inspect how the duties of protecting the external EU borders are discharged."
Discussing ongoing protests for higher wages in Bulgaria, the Prime Minister said that any change in the 2023 state budget, which is in the process of being adopted by the National Assembly, will inevitably involve taking money from someone to give it to someone else, because the budget deficit target of 3% should remain unchanged. "The Finance Minister and the MPs can discuss the options. There are some reserves. Let them do their job," Denkov said.
He was also asked to comment on his government's differences with President Rumen Radev on Ukraine. He said: "Bulgaria has one foreign policy which is formulated and implemented by the National Assembly and the Council of Ministers. Anyone has the right to express a political opinion, including the President, but Bulgaria has a foreign policy formulated through the decisions of the National Assembly and the Council of Ministers."
Concerning the EU-CELAC summit in Brussels, the Prime Minister said that Latin America and the Caribbeans are underrated and underused as partners, including by Bulgaria. "One of the objectives of the meeting is to see what can be developed at a much higher level in terms of partnership," Denkov said.
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