NEWS

Presidents Rumen Radev and Emmanuel Macron: Only a United European Union May Meet Public Expectations and the Contemporary Challenges

Only a united European Union can meet public expectations and the contemporary challenges. This was the common position shared by Head of State Rumen Radev and the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron after they held a meeting in the Euxinograd Palace in Varna. French President Emmanuel Macron is visiting Bulgaria together with his wife Brigitte Macron. The two Presidents made a review of the bilateral relations, and discussed the prospects for the future of united Europe. They reaffirmed Bulgaria’s and France’s readiness to cooperate even more closely in the spheres of economy, defense and culture.

Rumen Radev and Emmanuel Macron shared the opinion that overcoming the differences between the EU member states is the only way to build a strong and united Europe. “Bulgaria is ready to take new steps to strengthen its European integration,” Rumen Radev said at the meeting and voiced our country’s hope to join the Schengen area, as well as the country’s readiness to enter the waiting room of the Eurozone and join the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Rumen Radev called for meeting the established membership criteria in different unions and for not allowing any changes as this might result in undermining the European idea. President Macron confirmed France’s support for Bulgaria’s Schengen accession and also for Bulgaria’s participation in the debates on reforming the Schengen zone. 

Bulgaria’s and France’s efforts to cope with the migration flows headed to Europe were highlighted at the meeting, and President Macron emphasized the need to reform the European policy on granting asylum. “The security of the European citizens starts from the security of the Bulgarian borders,” President Radev said and called for supporting the Common operational action plan in the event of considerable increase of the migration pressure, which was tabled by Bulgaria in the Council of the EU and the European Commission.

The two Presidents shared the position that the EU needs a new impulse in the process of European integration. The large number of crises in the EU’s neighboring regions also require a common response, Rumen Radev and Emmanuel Macron emphasized and highlighted the importance of setting up a common European defense. Within the framework of the Bulgarian EU presidency, the membership criteria for the member states’ participation in the future projects within the European Defense Fund are yet to be defined. “They will ensure that SMEs and research institutes from smaller countries such as Bulgaria will also take part in the common projects,” the Bulgarian President emphasized. The Head of State stressed the excellent cooperation between the armed forces of Bulgaria and France and thanked France for its support to the process of transformation and modernization of the Bulgarian army. President Macron, for his part, confirmed France’s readiness to continue assisting Bulgaria in its attempts to build up its defense capabilities as a factor ensuring stability in a region near which there are a lot of crises.

Preserving the Cohesion policy as a real factor ensuring economic growth and Bulgaria’s closer relations with the EU member states is essential to our country, Rumen Radev said at the meeting. The Head of State called for putting the reform of the European directive that regulates the business trips of workers to the EU and the so called “social dumping” on the agenda of the debate for building a social Europe. “Bulgaria is against the frauds with social security funds and circumventing the rules,” the Bulgarian President emphasized and called for a stronger cooperation and control by the social services for defending the workers’ rights, improving the labor conditions and raising the standard of living. In Rumen Radev’s words, closer relations between the European countries in economic and social terms is the way to achieve a long-term stable solution to this problem. The Bulgarian President further pointed out that the so-called social dumping does not encompass only the issue of sending workers on business trips to other member states.  The issues pertaining to corporate and tax dumping, and to the much lower payment of workers from the new member states, in the same European companies, bank institutions and commercial chains, given the same quality and quantity of labor should also be discussed.

Confirming the European prospects of the Western Balkan countries is of key importance not only for Bulgaria and the region, but also for Europe, Rumen Radev said. The Head of State added that if these prospects are not offered, sooner or later the Balkan countries will offer Balkan prospects for Europe.

The Bulgarian President highlighted that for Bulgaria the partnership with France has a strategic character and that this country relies on France’s expert support so that Bulgaria’s upcoming Presidency of the Council of Europe be successfully realized.

Rumen Radev and Emmanuel Macron highly appreciated the bilateral economic and investment cooperation and voiced their readiness to subsequently encourage the business circles in Bulgaria and France to implement common projects. In 2016, bilateral trade reached 1.9 billion euros and the two Presidents said that this indicator can be considerably increased.  

The cooperation in the sphere of education and culture between Bulgaria and France and increasing the tourist flows were also discussed at the meeting between the Presidents of Bulgaria and France.

Earlier today a welcoming ceremony of the President of the French Republic was held at the Euxinograd Palace, after which Rumen Radev and Emmanuel Macron held an “eye-to-eye” meeting and headed the plenary talks of the two countries’ delegations.          

The wives of the two Presidents, Desislava Radeva and Brigitte Macron visited the palace in Balchik and had a walk around the botanical garden in the palace.