European Liberal Forum President: We Believe in Open and United Europe, Including the Balkans

Konstantin Kostov

MEP Jan-Christoph Oetjen in Sofia, April 17, 2025 (BTA Photo/Hristo Kasabov)

Sofia,

17.04.2025 12:58

(BTA)

Addressing the EU Meets the Balkans forum in Sofia Thursday, MEP Jan-Christoph Oetjen, who is also President of the European Liberal Forum President, said that his organization believes in open and united Europe, and this includes the Balkans.

The event is organized by the European Liberal Forum, the ALDE Party, and the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria. Among the speakers are Vice President Iliana Iotova, Eu Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, MEP Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev, representatives from Turkiye, Romania, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, and Montenegro. Bulgarian MPs and policy experts are also present.

Oetjen focused on the word “trust” and “trustful policies”. “If you look at what is happening in the world and how short-term decisions are shaking up the political landscape and bringing us a geopolitical shift, the EU has one strength and this strength is rule of law and that you can trust the procedures and the processes. […] The fact that decisions [in the EU] have been prolonged and prolonged did not help that people trust the EU. But I really think that it is time we lived up to those expectations. There are processes and the countries in the Balkans make good progress on these processes - and I think a trustful policy means if you fulfill the criteria, you must make the next step. This concerns Schengen, this concerns the euro, the EU enlargement,” he said.

/NF/