Since Bulgaria became a member of the EU, remarkable progress has been made towards building a modern European country with a strong economy and a balanced budget.
Bulgaria is also manifesting its capacity to be a key player in European politics, especially with the ongoing Bulgarian Presidency. I am convinced that the government has the ability and the willingness to deliver long-lasting solutions and concrete results.
One of the most important priorities of the Presidency is to put back on the agenda the situation in our closest neighbouring countries from the Western Balkans. By prioritising regional cooperation and developing good neighbourly relations with the Balkan countries, we hope to be able to engage them as a reliable partner on topics of great importance such as security, migration and connectivity.
The Bulgarian Presidency is also a chance for European nations get to know more about Bulgaria beyond the clichés. While there are still a lot of challenges to overcome, the government is doing an excellent job to these ends and I am sure that Bulgaria will leave its mark in the history of the EU via successful management of EU politics.
It is worth pointing out that the EU’s approval rate in Bulgaria is among the highest, because Bulgarians see and live the Union’s positive outcomes every day. Nevertheless, Bulgarians do not take EU membership for granted but we value the freedom and responsibilities it carries.
I am a passionate European and my projects are mostly related to quality education, successful digitalisation of the EU, and the creation of a more competitive business environment.
Being optimistic about our European future in this fast-changing world, I think we should re-invent Europe, as we have been always doing. It is our common responsibility to ensure a more secure and prosperous European Union.
As a member of the European Parliament and President of the European Movement International, I would like to steer the debate, to make sure we hear out the authentic ideas of citizens and implement them in our work. The EU has to become a true citizens’ union because Europe’s future will be very much built on the opinion of its people. In this regard, we should take a closer and more targeted look at what is important for people.
It would be great to engage young people in the European project. This will be my personal project in the near future. Through a reformed educational system, we will give young people opportunities to achieve more. In today’s Europe there should be no boundaries in education.
The creation of new skills is of utmost importance because we should respond to the demands of the dynamic European economy of tomorrow and provide young people from different backgrounds with the right skills. In order to do this, we will need to be more flexible, highly computer-literate and cognisant of the business potential new technologies provide.
I also would like to see also more women taking leading positions in science, politics and technologies. The generation now is the most-connected and has more opportunities to drive change than any other generation before. We need to use this empowerment.
I experience and live politics through its European dimension. Being passionate about Europe, all my efforts are concentrated in making the project more ambitious. Europe is the most attractive place to live worldwide and we should be really proud of this fact.
It is important however to know how the EU resonates locally and what concrete results its policies bring to the citizens. We should regain trust and restore people’s confidence in our common future.
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This article is part of a series offering a channel for young politicians from across emerging Europe to share their vision of the kind of Europe they want to create. All of the young people whose voices we feature are aged under 30 – some even younger – and all are unblemished by their countries’ communist-era pasts. Where the current generation of older politicians has often failed, it is our hope that this young, free and enlightened generation will succeed. Emerging Europe is delighted to be able to offer them a platform from which they can communicate with a wider audience outside of their home countries.
The views expressed in this opinion editorial are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Emerging Europe’s editorial policy.
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