Iliana Iotova strongly opposes Bulgaria's phased accession to Schengen
Bulgaria's admission to Schengen, the challenges facing the European Union on the eve of next year's European elections, the enlargement of the Union, Europe's role in world politics were the main topics of Vice President Iliana Iotova's session in Paris which lasted over an hour and a half with Loïc Herve, Deputy President of the French Senate and President of the France-Bulgaria Friendship Group, and French senators.
The Vice President thanked France for its support for Bulgaria's accession to Schengen. The French side is convinced that only as a full member of the area without border controls can our country be a reliable guarantor of the protection of the EU's external borders. Bulgaria's membership of Schengen will also contribute to the economic prosperity of this part of Europe.
Iotova expressed her disagreement with the Austrian proposal for a phased acceptance, which she described as another manifestation of double standards. The vice-president pointed out that the main migrant wave in Europe does not pass through Bulgaria and other member states are more affected by this problem. The Bulgarian state is doing everything possible to have security at its borders, Iotova assured. She pointed out that if the precedent of Bulgaria being accepted only with the air borders is allowed, this will contribute to deepening the existing problems in the Schengen area.
We are waiting for an answer from the Bulgarian government whether it has made commitments to Austria for additional admission of migrants and how this corresponds with the current European rules, the vice-president said.
On the issue of future enlargement of the European Union, Iotova pointed out that the topic becomes even more delicate on the eve of next year's European Parliament elections.
The vice president thanked the French side for the French compromise on the Republic of North Macedonia, but expressed concern that after its achievement there was no development on the North Macedonian side. Bulgaria does not set new conditions, but insists that the agreements are implemented. There is also no movement on the commitment to change the constitution to list the Bulgarians as a state nation. The Bulgarian position is firm on the issue of the real protection of the rights of the Macedonian Bulgarians, Iliana Iotova underlined.
During the meeting, the growing discontent of European citizens over unresolved and deepening problems was highlighted, which leads to the growth of populist parties. We are failing to respond adequately to people's problems, and they are mainly worried about their social security. In the campaign for the European elections, we need to hear what kind of European Union its citizens want, the vice-president said.
Regarding the war in Ukraine, Iotova said that Bulgaria was doing everything possible within NATO and the EU to pursue a policy that would prevent the expansion of the conflict in the Black Sea.
The unanimous opinion expressed at the talks was that the European Union is losing its leadership positions in the world. "It is difficult to form a common and firm foreign policy. We need people with a leadership mind-set, ready to take responsibility and not to move by inertia, Iliana Iotova concluded.