NEWS

Rosen Plevneliev: With the Fences and Blockades against the Refugees, the EU is Standing Against its Own Rules, Against its Own Values and Identity

Today by adding every piece of a new fence, by imposing mutual blockades of borders, by erecting razor-wire fences, by using water cannons and tear gas against the refugees, moreover in the heart of Europe, the EU is standing against its own rules, against its own values and identity. This is what President Rosen Plevneliev said, who opened a top-level meeting “New Visions of Partnership and Good-neighborly Relations in the Balkans” in Sofia. Current and former state and government leaders from the region are attending the conference, under the auspices of the Head of State, organized by the “Center for Political Dialogue Petar Stoyanov” and the International center “Nizami Gandjavi.”

In his statement the Head of State called on for solidarity and responsibility, as well as for the adoption of a common European approach to cope with the migration pressure. “The EU is a family and as such it is based on values, on a shared destiny, not on calculations and interests,” the President was adamant. The Head of State said that if European identity is not supported, the EU will fail. Rosen Plevneliev gave an example with the functioning of the Schengen area as a barometer of the state the EU is in. “Schengen is the dream for Europe without borders, so that you can travel from Sofia to Berlin and from Krakow to Paris without showing your passport. We, the East-Europeans, can understand this best, because we were behind the “Iron Curtain” 25 years ago. However, today some EU member states impose a temporary non-application of the Schengen rules. Today Schengen is in danger,” President Rosen Plevneliev said and added that the right of sanctuary is a universal value, it is an indispensable part of the human rights.

“Hundreds of thousands of people are at Europe’s doorstep reaching out for a helping hand, struggling for the right to live. As a result, nationalistic parties that feed on people’s fears are seizing the momentum,” the President said. The Head of State voiced concern over the fact that hate speech, racism, xenophobia, populism and aggressive nationalism are on the rise again. These challenges transcend national borders and call on us to act together, with resolve on a global scale, the Head of State said.

Rosen Plevneliev emphasized that the refugees’ lives will not improve if the conflict in Syria continues. The international community should ensure a ceasefire, “Europe should “bang” its hand on the table and say “Stop that bloody war.” We should guarantee the protection of the basic human rights, we should take on the difficult task to establish state institutions, there, in Syria, which should serve the people,” the President said. Rosen Plevneliev pointed out that it is high time we united and pooled efforts to cope with the reasons for the crisis, not only solve its consequences.

The President highlighted the need of purposeful actions to prevent conflicts and the need of joint action by the international community in the fight against violent extremism. “We need close cooperation not only between governments and law enforcement institutions, but also with civil society, local communities, media and the private sector in order to ensure durable and viable solutions. Only together can we be efficient,” Rosen Plevneliev said. The President added that on a national level we should adopt policies and measures that would prevent the radicalization of marginalized groups and ensure their better integration in local societies. “Terrorists for sure will be defeated by the united forces of the anti-terrorist coalition. The terrorists’ ideology cannot be defeated with weapons. It can be defeated with better ideas. History shows that terrorism has no religion. It can be defeated by societies which believe in human values. People with a high morality, who believe in tolerance and the dialogue with the different can defeat terrorism,” the President said.

In his statement the Head of State gave as a good example the change in the Balkans in the past two decades. “All countries in the region strive to achieve democratization and economic development. In this sense, EU integration has no alternative. Never before in history have the Balkan countries been so well connected with the other EU member states,” the Head of State emphasized. The President said that the Balkans are the place where Europe should show that it has learned the lessons from the Ukrainian crisis – the factor that changed the geopolitical balance on our continent. “Moscow places the Balkans in the center of its geopolitical interests. Our concern is that the policy of “great powers” disregards the sovereignty and the will of the individual nations and this can give rise to new sources of instability,” Rosen Plevneliev said. The Head of State highlighted the real threat present in Europe, which is the result of the strategy of frozen conflicts. “It is used as a tool to destabilize other countries and make them forever dependent. Unfortunately, this will continue for a long period of time. We should be prepared, we should be patient and make decisions based on values and which have a long-term horizon,” the President called on for.

“The real, sustainable road of development means more, not less democracy,” Rosen Plevneliev said and added that integration in Europe is of key importance for ensuring progress. “Our democracies are not perfect, they do not always function well. However, it is namely democracy that makes us strong, free, humane,” Rosen Plevneliev added. The success of a country is measured by the success of the ordinary person. “We do not need strong countries, which will make decisions for the weak, we need an international order in which everyone is important no matter whether they are rich or poor, strong or weak. We do not need strong states or personalities for whom the rules and human values are not valid,” the President said. The Head of State called on the states and leaders to believe that the differences can be resolved in a peaceful manner, not by force. “It is not the powerful people that are the symbol of the successful state, but the democratic institutions which serve the people,” Rosen Plevneliev said. The President reiterated his support for the active Bulgarian civil society that demands transparency and efficiency of state institutions.