Deputy Minister Aleksandrov took part in a discussion on the occasion of the annual speech of the President of the European Commission on the state of the EU
15 September 2021 News
Deputy Foreign Minister Rumen Aleksandrov analysed the main topics raised in the speech of the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on the state of the European Union.
The Deputy Minister participated in a public discussion organized by the Representation of the European Commission in Bulgaria at the House of Europe in Sofia, which took place immediately after the live broadcast of the speech of the President of the European Commission.
„Against the background of an unprecedented crisis like the one with COVID-19 and against the background of growing skepticism about the EU's ability to deal with crises in general, the main message for me today was optimism. Optimism that crises do not make us helpless and weaker, on the contrary - they motivate and stimulate us to work more actively so that we can overcome them in the most effective way. That the EU is able to learn from its mistakes, to learn from past crises," said Rumen Aleksandrov.
He commented on the words of Ursula von der Leyen that the economic recovery and economic growth in the EU this year are visibly higher than the world average and specifically for the United States, which according to the Deputy Minister is reflected in the rapid response with regards to COVID measures and in economic incentives for business.
Deputy Foreign Minister Rumen Aleksandrov highlighted as an important element of the speech the issue of competitiveness - not only within the EU, but also globally. "For the EU to be attractive and influential in the world, we must work very hard to increase the competitiveness of the EU and its Member States in all its aspects, as well as to ensure the strategic autonomy of the Union," he said.
In her speech, the President of the European Commission also dedicated attention to the Western Balkans. "I personally cannot agree with the claims that EU developments and policies towards the Western Balkans are stagnant. The EU's investment plan for the Western Balkans calls for the mobilization of a € 30 billion resource, € 9 billion of which is a grant. We are witnessing extremely intensive efforts and real progress in terms of the integration of these countries into the Single Market, as well as the growing connectivity between them and the EU member states," said Rumen Aleksandrov.
In conclusion, Deputy Minister Aleksandrov pointed out a principle and a priority that the EU and Bulgaria must adhere to in their overall activities. "One of the principles on which the EU is built is the principle of solidarity. It goes hand in hand with responsibility. It is very important that we do not forget it and take it into account in each of our actions," he said. According to him, the important priority that we must strive for and that should be of paramount importance in the future is cohesion - the need for economic and social cohesion within the EU.
In the course of the discussion, Rumen Aleksandrov also commented on the EC's legislative proposals regarding the Green Transition, the proposals for the abolition of free emission allowances, the taxonomy regulation, as well as the situation with the migration and asylum package.
Today's event was also attended by Gergana Passy, President of PanEurope - Bulgaria, Martin Vladimirov, Director of Energy and Climate at the Centre for the Study of Democracy, Daniel Smilov, Program Director of the Centre for Liberal Strategies, Heads of the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria and the Bureau of the European Parliament in Bulgaria - Tsvetan Kyulanov and Teodor Stoychev, and the moderator of the discussion was Dobrina Cheshmedzhieva, a journalist from BNT.