How can you enter the state power even the age of 30?

12/08/09

If we are not the largest, at least we are at a working organization, ensure the youth of GERB.


They say they have no political experience, but they are tireless, with many ideas and zeal. They are eager to enforce EU rules in the country and even to wake the sleepy civil society.

Accidentally or not, most numerous in voting for GERB in the last elections was precisely the group of young people. Unlike the BSP, whose young supporters may be listed on tiptoe and it's getting noisily past them only during elections, the youth from the youth organization of GERB (MGERB) are categorical that their opinion weighs. They show a proof - 21 of their 116 members are young people below 31 years and 5 of them are between 25 and 28.

Monika Hans Panayotova is only 26, but now she’s an MP and head of the youth organization of GERD, numbering almost 4500 enthusiasts. At first she becomes a member of the association GERB - submits her documents to the site of the organization (www.gerb.bg), then has a call. Subsequently becomes a founder and a member of the GERB party. She’s been responsible for the young in Sofia for and then has been elected president of MGERB. "We grow a step. Who comes with the expectation that the party is a springboard for a rapid career ascent, remains frustrated," she says.

Doors in MGERB are open to all members of GERB by 18-31. There are no barriers other than those prescribed by law. For this purpose, those who wish must complete the questionnaire and submit a CV. For the founders of the party the selection has been more stringent - a recommendation has been required. For example, in the youth organization of GERB sneaks Burgas rapper Todor Yosifov (The Maniac). His songs (like "Boom Mada faka") and activities became popular in the community after he was elected MP and the media got interested in him. All these facts prompted Boyko Borisov, to respond him. "I disagree with him, with all my respect," Boyko cut, but did not specify what precisely he didn’t agree. In return, he decided to send him to the executive.

Monika Panayotova’s opinion is that even on this position Toshko will prove his skills. Me and my colleagues are very pleased with his work as a coordinator of the Burgas-MGERB. From the very beginning he lived with the GERB project. To succeed on a daily basis to motivate 100 people in your organization without their pay set means that you have quality," says she. The young MP admitted that, as everywhere, people show to be interested in the youth organization, seeing in GERB a possibility of a tearing career. But later they are disappointed.

MGERB is proud of the fact that most of their members learn and work together, others are already with a solid education - law, international relations, accounting, finance- and they work mostly in private business. There are even those with their own business - for example in advertising or tourism. The coordinator of the MGERB organization in Sofia – Joanna Dochevska (25) is a manager in the family travel agency.

The 26-year-old lawmaker Alexander Nenkov, passionate fan of Manchester United and Levski, also had a real estate company. He leaves it, however, as other activities in private business, which has been engaged in because of the party. His progress in the party has become quite smooth, although his father - the famous Judge Rumen Nenkov, Boyko Borisov knows personally. He has met Tsvetan Tsvetanov thanks to his mother, who worked for years in the Metropolitan Municipality. And when there is no formal organization, he begins to make friends with the youth structure of GERB. Elevated to coordinator of the 23rd multi-constituency in Sofia and now he is an MP and a member of the Committee on Regional Development.

The 25-year-old lawmaker Georgi Andonov handled thousands of acres of fields 5 years.. As a former player he intends to carry the accumulated skills from sport to politics. "In football I play as a midfielder - the midfielder creates the game and I hope to be a midfielder in the Parliamentary Group of GERB, too" he said recently on BTV. According to him the difference between the field and the National Assembly is only in the situation - tensions and responsibilities there were large, too.

In addition to preparing specialists, young people in GERB have taken two more tasks - to pursue initiatives promoting democratic governance and the principles of civil society, and to establish contacts with international youth organizations. For this purpose, they organize celebrations of national holidays, they make campaigns to encourage young people to vote, handle out postcards and books for the EU and take part in training games in schools.

Some ideas of young people are in the educational program of GERB. One example is the establishment of a link between market demand and supply from universities. The ways how this can happen are being discussed and one option could be through the introduction of tax incentives for companies employing young people. "It is not clear when it may happen, but in any case we are looking for options," commented Monika Panayotova. Another idea is intended to stimulate the entrepreneurial spirit - for the purpose MGERB urge businesses to start happening with 1 euro, but not as far - available with 5000 levas "The realization of this measure, however, depends on the update of the status and priority, respectively, the budget implementation " the young MP states.

Her colleague from Vidin - Lubomila Stanislavova, also on 26, and also an MP, still has no concrete idea of legislative changes, but will certainly work for the development of cultural tourism in Bulgaria. For example, she intends to help implementing the request of the people from the village of Rabisha - to turn an old building in the village in mini museum where remains of a nearby cave – Magurata to be exposed. "Tourists who come to Bulgaria, want to see not only tourist sites but also to get acquainted with our culture”, she is convinced.

"If we are not the largest, at least we are the most united and working youth organization," Milen says, coordinator of MGERB in Kyustendil. Only for an year he has held 35-40 civic initiatives, no celebration of holidays included. It includes donations to orphanages, which in his words " are not placard or intended to extract political dividends”, planting trees, cleaning of gardens, youth participation in debates and others. "Our goal is to make people feel more European, more imaginative, to awake the sleepy civil society," Milen said. As one of the main problems in city he lives is the deteriorated demographic situation, through seminars and trainings he tries to convince young people to keep living and working in Kyustendil.

According Lubomila fact that the leadership offered them the great responsibility to be MPs, means they trust them and in future there will be continuity, too. The young MP has not yet felt contempt for the fragile age from the GERB group.

Her colleague Monika doesn’t seem to be discouraged, although she was not included in either of the two commissions she was most interested in - that of European Affairs (because she has worked on various projects for the integration of countries from Eastern Europe) and that of Education and science (because her priorities are the youth). "I'm not offended, our lawmakers are 116, we reduced the number of committees and we had to stand by our balance," she said, and promised to give all her energy into the Foreign Affairs Committee, where she is a member. She is not refused by the previous intentions - to work for updating the strategy for young people and establishing a law on the green card that may facilitate the access of citizens of Bulgarian origin to the labor market. "Decisions are made by party leader, but based on all the opinions that he heard," she said.

The duration of the leader’s favour depends on a lot of things. They say that the younger a man is the less dependent he is on elders’ mistakes. But very soon we will see whether young people from GERB will have the power to oppose their leaders, if necessary. And how will they manage to preserve of family-generic method for completing the party structures, typical of most parties.