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05/12/09
MGERB has officially gained the status of an observer member in the Youth of the European People’s Party – YEPP! MGERB was also officially recognised by the right-wing centralist youth organisations from all over Europe as a full righted partner. This happened during the international seminar of YEPP in Tirana, Albania. The seminar took hold from the 3rd of December to the 6th of December 2009. MGERB was supported with consent by over 30 youth organisations from all over Europe during the vote, which occurred during the board meeting of YEPP. Having an observer member status is the last step before achieving a full member status in the YEPP. After the achieved success MGERB can take an active part in determining the policies on European level, through it’s participation in the largest international youth organisation. When MGERB is accepted as a full member the representatives of MGERB will have the right to elect the YEPP Board, as well as be elected to be in the YEPP Board.
Hristo Gadzhev – MGERB’s International Secretary took part in the seminar in Tirana. He presented MGERB before the participants and introduced the qualities of the largest right-wing centralist youth organisation in Bulgaria. “At the base of MGERB lay main values, such as supremacy of the law, freedom of personal initiative and the traditional values of the EPP. We have proven our willingness to work for forming policies, regarding people not only on national, but on European level, so we can achieve prosperity for all European citizens. That is why I am certain that MGERB will be a worthy member of the family of YEPP”.
The participants to the conference were welcomed by the Prime Minister of Albania – Sali Berisha. He thanked them for their visit to Albania and introduced the situation in the country. He requested help for the removal of visas from 2010. The ministers of European Integration, Interior, Defence, Infrastructure and Transport and Telecommunications were also present during the meeting. Antonio Tajani the Vice President of the European Commission for Transport was also a special guest to the seminar.
Monika Panayotova the Chairwoman of MGERB will specially meet with the Board of YEPP during the forthcoming congress of the EPP in Bonn to thank personally for the vote of confidence and the acceptance of MGERB in the big youth European family.
The next seminar of the Youth of the European People’s Party will take place in Sofia and Plovdiv – Bulgaria. It will start on the 18th of February and end on the 21st of February. The host of the seminar will be MGERB.
02/12/09
Kuneva can give to Bulgaria as an expert, thinks the MP from GERB
Monika Panayotova was born on the 19th of August 1983 in Sofia. She has a MA in International Economic Relations in the University of National and World Economy with a specialization in “International Project Management”. She is the Chairwoman of MGERB. She was the director of “Projects connected with Society”, in the Economical Policy Institute until 2008. She can wield English, French and Spanish.
Miss Panayotova do you think that the International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Commission is important enough for the Bulgarian representative to the European Commission and what do you think about the opinions that the Foreign Minister would become the Emel Etem of Europe?
Every commission of the European Union is important if it has been opened. The President of the European Commission forms his team of European Commissioners, so every commissioner is important for his work. It is important that every European Commissioner is vital and everyone can vote. Our European Commissioner needs to keep the balance between the best interests of the whole European Union and of Bulgaria. Keeping the balance is very important and every commissioner can influence his fellow commissioners.
What do you think of the statement of Miglena Kuneva that she intends to transfer her work efforts towards the Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and the President Georgi Parvanov?
I think that Meglena Kuneva has a lot to give to Bulgaria as an expert. The fact that she spent a lot of time in Brussels proves that. I think that everyone who wants to help the Bulgarian Government constructively is welcome to do so. This has always been stated by our Prime Minister. Everyone can help despite his political orientation if he works for the best interest of the country. After we leave the border of Bulgaria we defend Bulgaria’s position and not the position of GERB, BSP or MRF. We go out there with the Bulgarian position. I don’t see any difficulties for anyone who wants to work for this cause.
The Lisbon Treaty takes effect from the 1st of December. What does this mean for Bulgaria?
I have personally been pro-federally orientated from many years and I have been hoping that this becomes reality one day. I am really happy that the Lisbon Treaty will take effect. This is a sign that Europe is moving forward. From now on Europe will become a legal personality in other words - it will become a key figure in the international field. The changes that effect Bulgaria will have effect on the whole European Union. Now we are talking for wider identification – the European identification. We think of ourselves as Bulgarians, but now we would think of ourselves also as Europeans, because the European Union will have an independent foreign policy and a president. The role of the institutions and the new legislation is becoming really important concerning decisions. In order for a certain decision to take effect it would need 55% approval of the member countries and 65% approval of the population of the European Union. There will be double legitimacy regarding the decisions. Every country will have the right to leave the European Union if it considers this to be the right decision. The citizens of the European Union will have the right for initiatives. If one million citizens think that a particular problem is of great importance for the whole Union, they could have it reviewed. There will be greater perspective for the citizens regarding the decision making process. Another important moment is that the national governments will have a greater impact on the European Parliament. In reality before any decision can take effect it first needs to be reviewed by all the national governments. This will be a challenge in front of our government, because we would need greater expertise – the MP’s as well as the experts working for the National Assembly.
Won’t we lose our national identity with the Lisbon Treaty?
No not at all. The motto of Europe – “United in diversity”, will truly take effect. Everyone is contributing to what the European Union looks like and this leads to a wider European identification. Culturally everyone has their own identity. Everyone is equal before the law.
How would you comment on the increasing civil claims before the Court in Strasbourg by the people with disabilities and the pensioners?
Maybe they know that when a civil suit starts there at one moment there will be a result. This is something that we can’t always see here.
How can we change this?
This can happen with a reform in the justice system, but as you know this takes a really long time. The important thing is that the new government has expressed will for reforms and is starting to achieve them. But everything is happening gradually and by stages, because every fast decision might not be the right one. Every step is well tough by our government. I believe there will be reforms but there is now way that they could happen in the first one hundred days of the new cabinet. It is a question of time before we can see the positive results.
What do you think of the results of the referendum in Switzerland about minarets?
One of the international theories is that of the conflict of the civilizations in other words between Christianity and Islam. I believe it is very important for politicians to be able to keep the balance and to put an accent that religion needs to remain in the frames of personal space. If we start dividing ourselves on religious, sexual or ethnical bases we would never be able to achieve anything good. Normally the more radical parties succeed in doing more negative campaigns. The ones who opposed European integration had a more successful campaign.
One of the last events that drew public attention was also on a religious basis. The Yuzeirovi Brothers attempted to build a second monument of the Unknown Turkish Warrior, but this time in their patio. Don’t you think that the law for registration of new religions or new parties needs to be changed?
As far as I am informed about the case of the second monument it was never discussed with the local authorities and no one asked for a legal approval i.e. it wasn’t done in the necessary manner. No division leads to anything good. Bulgaria has always been a good example for ethnical tolerance. Let’s keep this image - this is my appeal to everyone. We are not a big country. If we start dividing ourselves this won’t be good for anyone. The individual success of everyone will contribute to the success of the country. Let’s have a positive and creative thinking, rather then destructive.
MGERB has officially gained the status of an observer member in the Youth of the European People’s Party – YEPP! MGERB was also officially recognised by the right-wing centralist youth organisations from all over Europe as a full righted partner. This happened during the international seminar of YEPP in Tirana, Albania. The seminar took hold from the 3rd of December to the 6th of December 2009. MGERB was supported with consent by over 30 youth organisations from all over Europe during the vote, which occurred during the board meeting of YEPP. Having an observer member status is the last step before achieving a full member status in the YEPP. After the achieved success MGERB can take an active part in determining the policies on European level, through it’s participation in the largest international youth organisation. When MGERB is accepted as a full member the representatives of MGERB will have the right to elect the YEPP Board, as well as be elected to be in the YEPP Board.
