The Bulgarian people should be given the opportunity to hear a debate in parliament on conducting a referendum on election rules. The idea of a referendum should not boil down to bureaucratic procedures with a vague end. “I believe that a responsible attitude will be displayed and I call on for conducting the referendum together with elections for MEPs on 25 May. I would not like to think that the parties in parliament favor a low voter turnout,” President Rosen Plevneliev commented late in the evening on 17 March at a meeting he had with approximately 200 Bulgarians in the Bulgarian embassy in London.
The Head of State voiced his concern that the referendum may be deliberately delayed for the summer months. “This would show a dishonorable attitude, therefore in compliance with the Constitution, I will do my best to ensure that the referendum is conducted in an honorable manner,” Rosen Plevneliev said.
Our compatriots yet again raised the issue of setting up a Council of the Bulgarians living abroad. The President recalled that under the initiative of the presidential institution the topic was discussed with representatives of Bulgarian communities all over the world. Debates are still held on the future Strategy on Bulgarians living abroad, Rosen Plevneliev said. He recalled that the presidential institution has no legislative initiative. One part of this strategy should be related to giving the Bulgarians opportunities to vote online wherever they are in the world. However, political will is necessary to this effect, the President thinks.
Our compatriots in London raised the following issues: speeding up the educational and professional adaptation and professional realization of the young Bulgarians who have graduated abroad; reform in the judiciary and improving Bulgaria’s image abroad.
“The law administration system has already been reformed five times! This is a comfortable excuse to divert our attention from the results achieved,” Rosen Plevneliev commented. “The solution lies in the politicians give up the practice of being in charge of appointments and dismissals in the system. No more reforms are necessary, results should be achieved,” the Head of State emphasized.
As for the debate on the restrictions on the labor market and the problems immigrants face in some EU member states, the President commented that Bulgarians integrate better than many foreign and local communities. Plevneliev provided an example with Germany, where about 125 thousand Bulgarians currently live. The unemployment rate among them is 7.2 percent, while it is 7.7 percent among the Germans and 14.4 percent among the other foreign communities. According to the President, this means that Bulgarians perform better and integrate much better than even the local community because they are hardworking, committed, disciplined and well-educated. Many young Bulgarians who are ambitious, hardworking, make efforts and contribute to the local economy come to Great Britain, Rosen Plevneliev further commented. This topic will be addressed at the talks the Head of State will hold during his official visit in the United Kingdom, which will end on 19 March.
When the GDP per capita reaches about 60 percent of the average one for the EU, then our compatriots will start coming back to Bulgaria, the President forecast. He gave an example with countries in which similar processes are taking place, such as Spain, Greece Portugal, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. In the Head of State’s words, in these countries the process of the immigrants coming back to their homelands is either taking place or has already been completed. “Currently Bulgaria’s GDP is 47 percent and we still have a lot of work to do,” the Head of State further added.
On 18 March President Rosen Plevneliev will hold talks at an audience given by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. A joint British-Bulgarian forum will be held in London, in which about 60 representatives of the business circles from the two countries will take part. The President will hold talks with Foreign Secretary William Hague and with Matthew Hancock, Minister for skills and enterprise.
As patron of the International Award of the Duke of Edinburgh, the Head of State will hold a meeting with the Chief of the Board of Directors and the members of the managing council of the International Award of the Duke of Edinburgh foundation. Rosen Plevneliev will visit a school in London, where he will meet young people, taking part in the program of the International Award.