site.btaSofia Conference Looks into European Union's Future

Bulgarian MPs, Members of the European Parliament, and analysts discussed the future of the European Union at a conference in Sofia on Tuesday. The event was organized by the Europe of Sovereign Nations group in the European Parliament and Bulgarian MEP Petar Volgin of Vazrazhdane.

“Europe is the only continent that, despite its cultural diversity, has civilizational homogeneity, and this is our core value,” said Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov. He echoed a proposition, defended by Vazrazhdane and by the Europe of Sovereign Nations group, that the EU, through its policies, “represents the greatest threat to the future of European civilization.” According to him, Europe’s identity must not be lost.

Kostadinov said that since the beginning of the year, there has been talk of a “two-speed Europe,” followed by discussions of “federalization.” “This, however, will be the swan song of the European Commission,” he argued. In his words, Bulgaria must adhere to its own principles and interests. “The clash is very serious, because on one side there is a machine into which billions have been poured, and on the other there is us, modern-day resistance,” Kostadinov said.

He said that in the upcoming election campaign he will raise the issue of the country’s position regarding the idea of a free Bulgaria, with its own currency, army, and more.

 “It is very important to know what needs to be changed so that cooperation among European states can continue,” said Volgin. The question, he added, is whether this cooperation should remain as it is now or, on the contrary, be built on entirely different foundations. The most important issue is what Bulgaria, as one of the oldest countries in Europe, is doing and how it can fit into a future model of European cooperation, he noted.

According to diplomat Meglena Plugchieva, today’s EU is fundamentally different from the one Bulgaria joined. Prof. Ivo Hristov raised the question of the EU’s existence in the geopolitical world, also emphasizing Bulgaria’s priorities amid current global developments.

Part of the discussion also focused on the European Union’s relations with the United States, Russia, and China. Prof. Boyan Chukov, Assoc. Prof. Valentin Vatsev, and Prof. Nikolay Vitanov made remarks.