PM Denkov: Bulgaria's and Romania's accession to Schengen will make Europe stronger

In his address to the MEPs on November 22, Prime Minister, Nikolai Denkov, called on Europe to play a more active role on the international scene as a strong mediator and guarantor of peace.

During the "This is Europe" debate, Prime Minister Denkov warned that Russia was taking advantage of the economic and cultural ties between the countries to divide Bulgarian society, and stressed that Bulgaria's membership in the EU and NATO was "the biggest guarantee for the continuation of the democratic and European path of development" of the country.

"That is why we must complete our European integration by joining Schengen and the Eurozone," he added.

In his address, he reminded that Bulgaria has fulfilled all the requirements for "its accession to the Schengen area and any further delay is unacceptable and demotivating" for the country and its citizens. With Bulgaria and Romania joining Schengen, "Europe's borders will be better protected and Europe will be stronger".

Denkov warned that the prospects of widening conflict in the Middle East, sparked by the brutal Hamas terror attack and Israel's large-scale military response, were not to be underestimated. The EU must not turn a blind eye to the geopolitical challenges in the Far East and the instability in Central and West Africa, he added.

Referring to the signs of war fatigue in Ukraine and the unwillingness of some to continue bearing the burden, the Prime Minister reminded MEPs that "when we defend Ukraine, we defend Europe", otherwise the same could happen tomorrow in "Moldova, the day after tomorrow the Baltic republics, then Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and other European countries".

In order to regain the trust of citizens, Denkov called on European conservative and liberal families to work together in the fight against hatred and polarisation in politics. Calling for Europe to play a more active role on the international stage, as a strong mediator and guarantor of peace, he added that "the EU should strengthen its strategic ties with NATO allies and its defence capabilities [...] including to carefully consider the idea of creating a single European army".

On the issue of enlargement, Prime Minister Denkov recalled that Bulgaria has always been a strong supporter of the accession of the Western Balkan countries to the EU, and stressed that the process should be based on real achievements and "not as a result of political calculations". He welcomed the European Commission's recent decision to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova and expressed hope for Georgia's inclusion in the group.

Referring to the growing wave of immigrants into the EU, Denkov called for a new EU approach and to do everything possible to facilitate the admission of refugees fleeing war, while adopting measures to stop and discourage purely economic migration.