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The Head of State before PACE: Democracy in Europe Should not be Taken for Granted and Must be Defended

Bulgaria’s joining the Council of Europe in 1992 opened new horizons for my country and facilitated the transition from a totalitarian communist regime to democracy. This is a historic achievement for the Bulgarian nation, but it is also a historic commitment to the European values, on which the Bulgarian foreign and domestic policy has been based since then. This is what President Rosen Plevneliev said before the participants in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, which represents more than 800 million European citizens. Established in 1949, the Assembly is a defender of human rights, democratic values and the rule of law in Europe and is a basic factor for achieving a positive change and encouraging the cooperation and unity of the European countries.

At the end of 2015 our country took over the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and will host its next session in May 2016. “Bulgaria will spare no effort and will count on the valuable support and cooperation of your respective parliaments and governments to achieve the results it has set out to accomplish within the framework of the Bulgarian chairmanship,” President Plevneliev said.

Before the participants in the Parliamentary Assembly, the Head of State called on for lifting the post-monitoring dialogue for Bulgaria in the spheres of justice, media freedom and electoral legislation. The President was adamant that the former communist countries have come a long way since they joined the Council of Europe 20 years ago and with the support of the Organization have managed “to establish modern democratic states where human rights and the rule of law are held high.” In the Head of State’s words, the reforms in the spheres of education, security and justice prove that “Bulgaria has taken its future in its own hands and is acting in a responsible way, making reforms and achieving sustainable results.”  

“Unlike the expectations in 1989 that it would take us only a couple of years to become a “real democracy”, today Bulgarians realize that just establishing democratic institutions and European laws is not enough,” President Plevneliev further said. The Head of State highlighted that democracy in Europe should not be taken for granted and requires constant effort. “Our democracies are not perfect, but it is democracy that makes us strong and humane,” Rosen Plevneliev said and recalled the words of the first democratically elected president, Zhelyu Zhelev: “You can cure democracy only with more democracy”.

The Head of State pinpointed the violation of the rule of law, pursuing self-seeking interests and opposing them to the international principles, the creation of frozen conflicts, terrorism, migration and chauvinism as major challenges the European countries are facing. In the President’s words, the “record high” number of crises around the world and in Europe should not be left for the next generation to resolve and require concrete decisions and actions. “We need to act. Mistakes can be fixed, but doing nothing cannot be an alternative and creates a dangerous grey zone of illegitimacy and instability,” the President said.

“Bulgaria follows the rules of the Dublin Regulation and the Schengen Agreement. We show solidarity with all refugees and give humanitarian status to those that meet the criteria,” Rosen Plevneliev said and reiterated his call for establishing a solidarity system for a fair distribution of refugees in Europe. The Head of State was adamant that a distinction should be drawn between asylum-seekers escaping from military conflicts and economic immigrants and this should not clash with the efficient control over the external EU borders.  As Chairman-in-Office of the South East European Cooperation Process, Bulgaria will initiate a Joint Statement on Migration Challenges to be adopted at the Second Informal Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs in February 2016 in Sofia.
In his statement made at the forum, President Plevneliev also highlighted that fighting terrorism requires that the problems of social exclusion and inequality should be addressed first. “No one is born a terrorist and the lack of access to basic human rights is what fuels hatred and division,” the Head of State emphasized. Rosen Plevneliev added that currently not only in the world, but also in Europe there are many young people that have no jobs, no prospects and no goals in life and their radicalization is just a step away. “Marginalization has no nationality, ethnicity, religion or skin color. We can prevent the radicalization of marginalized groups within our own societies only by ensuring access to education and opportunities for integration,” the President further said.

European citizens and politicians should keep in mind the difference between patriotism and extreme nationalism in Europe, the Head of State said and called on for putting an end to the attempts to capitalize on people’s fears on migration and high unemployment. In the President’s words, sixty five years since the adoption of the European Convention on Human Rights, such people denounce international human rights protection for their own partisan gain. “We must remember that the Second World War was made possible by the denial of the democratic principles of dignity, equality and mutual respect. We must never again allow such a tragedy,” Rosen Plevneliev emphasized.  The Head of State once again recalled the words of the former President of Israel, Shimon Peres: “Better economic crisis than moral catastrophe, better economic problems than historic shame,” dedicated to the saving of the Bulgarian Jews in the years of the Second World War.
Rosen Plevneliev was adamant that the European countries should strengthen the integration and connectivity among each other so as to adequately respond to the growing perception of insecurity and lack of direction in Europe. “Today, more than ever, we need more, not less Europe. We certainly need strong political leadership and active citizens. We need leaders who understand that differences should be resolved peacefully. We need leaders that uphold, not undermine, the international order,” the Head of State said. The President once again called on for leaving the time of “Great Powers” and peripheral states in history and having Europe draw lessons from the wars and conflicts it suffered.

“Having realized the positive impact of European integration for the development of the region, Bulgaria is a strong supporter of the EU and NATO enlargement process,” the Head of State further emphasized in the statement he made at the forum. In his words, only by reconfirming the shared values can the countries from our region ensure stability and security in the Balkans and guarantee their sovereignty and territorial integrity. “History has taught us that one of the easiest ways to destabilize Europe is through the Balkans. Therefore, the EU should consider Southeast Europe not as a periphery,” President Rosen Plevneliev further called on for.

The Head of State laid flowers at the monument of Dimitar Peshev in the Palace of Europe in Strasbourg, who as deputy speaker of the National Assembly played an active role for saving the Bulgarian Jews during World War II. President Plevneliev also opened the exhibition with photos from Bulgaria in Strasbourg.