Monika Panayotova is only 24 years old, but is already leader of the youth in GERB. She held this post from this year and she is filled with enthusiasm and will for work and changes. She graduated international relations at UNWE, speaks French and English and has a working knowledge of Spanish. She likes travelling, Celine Dion and her favourite film is ‘Brave heart’.
- Was it some kind of a surprise for you the start of the new political season? Will the expectations for ‘hot’ autumn and winter come true?
- Unfortunately I was not surprised, because after the report of the European Commission in July, neither the behaviour, nor the manners of the ruling centre and mostly of the prime minister changed. The start of the political season was marked by promises reposes for a small part of the pensioners, with black PR and attacks against our leader and party. I don’t think that this is what citizens expect, so I’m happy for the fact that our party follows an European model of behaviour, based on the facts and transparence together with you – the media and with the participation of the citizens, although this is so difficult for us in the current situation. Both campaigns that we started in EPP format, as well as this one with young people for so called ‘Democratic exams’ aim exactly to show the opinion of people. Yes, unfortunately, we expect really ‘hot’ but not cosy autumn and winter, unless the rulers surprise us positively.
- How the youth GERB will warm up the situation?
- I wouldn’t like people to remain with the impression that we warm up the situation. Unfortunately, it is hot enough and the current policy of the government keeps ceaselessly the fire. What we strive for with young people is to give people an opportunity to express in a delicate way their discontent of the situation in the country. As an organization that started its growth first as a civil association and after that developed into political, we have always been part of the active civil society, which when face mistakes has the awareness and will to notice them
- You gave student books to the ministers or more exactly to some of the ministers from the cabinet. It was the idea of the initiative that the ministers have no right to make more mistakes, order-remarks and poor marks. At the same time the subjects on which you examine them are: ‘Corruption’, ‘Irresponsibility’, ‘Hypocrisy’, ‘Abuse of authority’, ‘Transparence’, ‘Responsibility’, ‘Justice’ and ‘Succession’. Yet, those ‘students’ have already been for three years at the school of government. How do these students from the cabinet perform so far?
- The idea of the initiative focuses in conducting a local referendum each month that young people will organize in the constituency from which the relevant minister is elected. By this way the mark that the minister will receive would be of great importance from the people, who voted for them and with whom, being elected and coming in Sofia, they lose real contact. In regard of this in the end of the month in all regions there will be spread inquiries in the form of student books, in which citizens could estimate the work of the government on the mentioned subjects from poor to excellent. We have also created a group in facebook where young people can expose their opinion, as they’re every day informed about the activity of the ‘students’, expressed in the media. That’s why on the last page of the student books it was marked for the ministers – ‘no right for correction’ or what we very well realize in GERB is that the Council of ministers is not a school. Although at some extent it is turned into a school by the government, it is a place where all have to be well prepared as experts and also with clear sense of responsibility for the voters and for the political party, from which they are suggested.
- Who are the excellent and poor students? What kind of ‘student’ is the leader in the class – Sergei Stanishev?
- Counting about 500 000 filled orders for dismissal of the government, headed by the leader in the class, what kind of student do you think he is, and when the class is ruled by him we could hardly have higher result?! Actually on corruption, irresponsibility and abuse of authority he has, I could say excellent results, but on responsibility and transparence definitely not.
- They all however have the desire to ‘repeat’ school, namely to receive another mandate. How will you fight with those wanting to repeat?
- Exactly because we suppose that they would like to repeat, we expressly emphasized ‘no right for correction’. (smile) One of the most important aspects of this school is the training for democracy. As a right party, one of our main values and leading principle is the liberal democracy – liberal because it exists in accordance to the law and democracy, or namely in accordance with citizens.
- As parent in the student books of the adult students you wrote Ahmed Dogan as the mandate was given to him. How does he perform as a parent?
- Definitely he is a guardian.
- Why financier №1 Plamen Oresharski was so angry on your joke? He commented that he didn’t need student book, because his student years had passed long ago.
- Maybe he doesn’t have sense of humour or simply he realizes the importance of the problem, although presented in a delicate and playful way and that’s why he automatically took a defensive position. We weren’t angry on him.
- At the same time GERB started also a protest subscription campaign that is an order for dismissal of the government of the three-party coalition. The campaign is under the title – ‘I am european’. How is going the collecting of signatures so far and what are the expectations?
- The signatures are multiplying by hours and this shows that the citizens are really not contented and I’m happy that they share this. There are also members of BSP among those who are signing and this means that the subscription reflects correctly the opinion of the citizens for the situation in the country, but not the opinion of some parties. I want very much to see more active citizens with clear position so that each government to have a permanent civil control.
- Would you watch in this critical way the activity of your party if it wins the elections or you’ll be indulgent?
- We are definitely as very critical, also very self-critical. The good thing in our party is that we can express freely our opinion, to give suggestions which are not treated as something of small importance or uncomfortable truth, but are considered. This is a clear example that we are a party in progress and party with principles. Another example confirming this position are the moral declarations that were signed by our nominees for the local elections and on whose base some of them are not already with us.
- As youth from GERB do you have any contacts with other young people from the right-wing?
- Yes, we have in the aspect of the big family of the European People’s Party and the centre-right European student field.
- Do you know young left people? They also describe themselves as Europeans. Do they have grounds to claim this?
- Personally I don’t know representatives of young lefts. My impression for them is based on what they demonstrate as behaviour, negative messages and continuous black PR against our leader. I suppose that there are also young people in BSP who are not so bitter but unfortunately the party uses them in this negative way and instead of spending so much on the Internet site of our leader, on negative initiatives and parties, to invest in their development. I’m happy that the energy and abilities of the youth in GERB is accumulating in training seminars, research and civil initiatives with positive message that express our values – tolerance, responsibility, family, freedom and liberal democracy. The fact that they define themselves as Europeans is very good, now however they have to behave as Europeans, because after our acceptance in the EU we are all European citizens, but the identification – European requires a definite type of behaviour and thinking.
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