site.btaBulgarian President and EU Ambassadors Discuss War, EU Economy and Euro Area Membership

President Rumen Radev and the ambassadors of the EU member states to Bulgaria discussed the ongoing wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, the future of the EU economy and the expected euro changeover in Bulgaria, Radev’s press secretariat reported on Friday.

The meeting was held days before the expiry of the six-month Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It took place at the Polish Embassy in Sofia. The diplomats raised questions about the combat action in Europe’s proximity and its implications, matters on the international agenda and issues of current importance for Bulgarian society.

Radev described the ongoing wars in the Middle East and Ukraine as key challenges to international security requiring consistent efforts to halt the fighting and resolve the respective situations by diplomatic means. “Each of these military conflicts holds the risk of expanding, of even greater destruction and loss of human lives, and therefore it is necessary to coordinate the approaches of the EU and the US to resolve the conflicts as soon as possible. The combat action in regions neighbouring the EU calls for setting priority on ensuring European security and strengthening the bloc’s defence capabilities,” he said, adding that it is exceedingly important how related resources are invested.

Discussing the EU economy, the President said the big challenge is to boost the bloc’s production and competitiveness in order to reinforce its economy and enhance the stability of the welfare systems.

Radev said that his proposal for a referendum on Bulgaria’s preparedness to join the euro area in 2026, which was rejected, triggered a long-due debate on the real readiness of the country’s institutions, businesses and society for such a fundamental step. He said the public expects concrete steps and mechanisms to counter an unwarranted increase in prices, which, according to him, has already begun, as was the case in other EU member states. “Holding a national referendum is also a way to restore public confidence in the institutions after Bulgaria conducted seven parliamentary elections in four years and citizens were alienated from the political process,” he argued.

The President identified anti-corruption, justice and the rule of law, education, agriculture and transport infrastructure development as the main areas in which Bulgarians expect real reforms to improve the functioning of public institutions and positive changes in the public environment in Bulgaria.