The youths of GERB had their first regional political academy

26/04/10


On the 24th and 25th of April in the Falkovets village the youth structures of GERB from the regions Vidin, Montana, Vratza and Pleven had their first regional political academy.

The main topics, which were in the base of the two day training included: The principles of successful behavior, Political culture, How to communicate with the media and Non-verbal communication. The moderators of the academy were Lidia Kapitanova from MGERB Vidin and Slavi Pavlov from MGERB Pleven.

Vladimir Toshev – Member of Parliament in the 41st National Assembly from GERB from the Vidin region, attended the official opening. He greeted all of the participants with a few words. Among the special guests of the academy were Svetoslav Kazakov and Ivaylo Petkov from MGERB Sofia.

The first day started out with an exercise from the moderators, which had an ice-melting target and contributed to the good atmosphere and the activity of the participants. The program continued with training about management decisions and the successful management of a team, as well as an improvised introduction of every participant in front of a camera, which had the target to improve communication with the media.

The second day started with the conducting of two debates connected with problems important for society in the country. The youths were divided into four teams, as each of them had to defend their thesis in front of their opponents. The moderators gave marks to the youths for teamwork and pointed out flaws with the target of improvement.

The program ended with some important tips and conclusions about the accomplished in the two days of work and ideas and proposals from the participants about upcoming trainings.

Monika Panayotova and MGERB Sofia took part in an initiative in connection with Earth Day

24/04/10

In connection with Earth Day, which is on the 24th of April, Monika Panayotova – Member of Parliament from the 24th Majoritarian Election Region and Chairwoman of MGERB took part in the initiative of GERB Vazrajdane for spring cleaning and for the planting of trees.
Other then the many members and sympathizers from the district, MGERB Sofia also took part in the initiative, as well as the governing body of GERB Vazrajdane in the face of the coordinator of the district – Peter Manolov and Borislav Borissov – Member of the Management Board of the district organisation.

The initiative began in the yard of the 67th Middle School “Vasil Drumev” where Miss Panayotova welcomed all of the gathered citizens and gave a special speech dedicated to the students from the school. She wished them a happy childhood and encouraged them to study their textbooks well, because one day they will be the people determining the future of Bulgaria.

After that, trees were planted and GERB Vazrajdane bestowed two benches for rest to the people living in building 13 and 14 in “Serdika” district.

MGERB took part in the EU Youth Conference in Spain

16/04/10

The EU Youth Conference took place from the 13th to the 15th of April in Jerez de la Frontera in Spain and was organised by the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It regarded youth employment and social inclusion. The results of the national policies of the member countries regarding youth were discussed during the event, as well as the created work groups in the member countries regarding youth.

The opportunity for the discussion of the problems by the responsible for the realisation of the state policies for youth of the member countries and representatives of youth unions in Europe is the first of its kind in the frame of structured dialogue regarding questions concerning youth. Over 200 participants were divided into 6 working groups by priorities – 1. Youth employment and self-governing, access to the labour market, 2. Entrepreneurship and self-employment of young people, 3. Working conditions and equal opportunities, combining personal and professional life, 4. Education, mobility, innovations, 5. Social dialogue, participation, 6. Social participation. The opportunity to discuss problems together in work groups led to common messages of the people responsible and the youth in each of the priorities, which determine the direction of the policies, which need to be developed in the field of youth employment. Now follows the difficult role of the two next presidencies of the EU – the Belgium to point out with instruments how to achieve the desired results for lowering youth unemployment and the Hungarian, which needs to determine concrete actions for solving the problem.

Androulla Vassiliou – European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, Bibiane Aido – Minister of Equality of Spain, Tine Radinja – President of the European Youth Forum, Xenia Constantinou – Vice-President of the European Youth Forum and others were present at the meeting.

Bulgaria participated in the conference with the representatives of MGERB - Joanna Dochevska – Regional Coordinator of MGERB Sofia and Deyan Nikolov – Member of MGERB Sofia.

Representatives of MGERB took part in the Chairperson Conference of YEPP

12/04/10

A conference of the chairpersons of the youth organisations members of YEPP (International Youth Organisation of the European People’s Party, which has over 50 centre-right political organisations members from all over Europe) took place from the 8th of April till the 11th of April in Paris, France. It was attended by almost all of the chairpersons of the youth organisations members and observers of YEPP, as well as guests from youth political organisations from Lebanon, Israel and Morocco. MGERB was represented by its chairwoman – Monika Panayotova and its international secretary Hristo Gadzhev. The host of the conference was the Youth Organisation of the Union for a Popular Movement – the party of the President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The representatives of MGERB had the opportunity to meet different representatives of the Union for a Popular Movement and representatives of the French government and to discuss with them. They were greeted in the headquarters of the Union for a Popular Movement by Xavier Bertrand – General Secretary of the Union for a Popular Movement and a group of young MEP’s. Topics discussed with them were the role of the national parliaments after the Lisbon Treaty, as well as improving the relations, between the national parliaments and the European Parliament regarding defending the best interests of the local societies.

On the next day they met with representatives of the French government, as they had a discussion with Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet – Minister of State responsible for Forward Planning and Development of the Digital Economy, attached to the Prime Minister, regarding the role of the Internet and the new technologies in the development of the economy. The relations between NATO and Russia, as well as START 2 were the main topics in the discussion with Hervé Morin – Minister of Defence and the role of the European Union with Pierre Lellouche – Minister of State responsible for European Affairs.

The meetings which were held in the Ministry of Youth and Active Solidarity were of crucial importance to the representatives of MGERB. There they discussed the French experience in the field of a national youth council, as well as the different conceptions for building the Bulgarian model. The start of a co-operation with the target of creating a working Bulgarian national youth council was set after lasting and fruitful talks.

In order for a policy to be successful, it needs to be clearly expressed and explained to society. The communication with citizens is of utmost importance for the political parties and in the 21st century the highlight needs to be put on online communication. The new strategy for communication with citizens for the European People’s Party was presented by Antonio López – Secretary-General of the European People’s Party and Kostas Sasmatzoglou – Spokesman of the European People’s Party. The role of the new technologies was presented by Ravi Singh – worked on the electronic campaign of President Obama.

In connection with the tragedy, which struck Poland, the chairpersons of the organisations sent their condolences to all of Europe, regarding the great loss, which struck the country. They also accepted a mutual declaration for the development of youth mobility in Europe.

MONIKA PANAYOTOVA, Member of Parliament from GERB: Brussels gave us a credit of trust

30/03/10

An interview made by Jana Jordanova for Monitor Newspaper

- Miss Panayotova the “SOS – Save the Education Now!” campaign has finished. Can you summarize the suggestions you received by the young people, parents and experts?
- We had four beams, which traveled through the whole country. We reached to all 28 regions, as we primarily stressed on the university centers. We collected over 2000 suggestions. Among the greatest problems, which were found, is the corruption in higher education and at second place – realization. Great part of young people, do not feel sufficiently prepared and competitive, when they graduate from university. From another side they are worried if they are going to find a job, according to their specialization, because the requirements of the employers are considerably high. And graduating from university, there is no way to pass all of the criteria. The third marked problem is the connection education-business. The young people want to have a lot more practice and lecturers not only from the academic circle of the educational facility. In the suggestions attention is also turned towards lowering the number of higher educational facilities. The young people want greater competition between the educational facilities, so they can receive a higher quality of education. The fifth problem is connected with mobility. Some explained that after traveling under the “Erasmus” programme, after they returned to the country, the university students have to once again undertake exams. This additionally complicates their study and makes them hesitate if they should even travel abroad at all. Apart from the informational tents we had a blog, on which the participants could write. We had over 6000 visits on the blog. We created a group on Facebook, which consisted of more then 12000. Our target was to provoke the young people and to show them, that their opinion is important for the creation of the Law for Higher Education. Precisely as a Member of Parliament I would like the skipping of the so called “cabinet writing” of laws by a limited number of people. It passes in the Council of Ministers and in Plenary Hall and has a mandatory character for all others. But in the end the gaps begin to be seen. That is why the target of the campaign was to not have a one sided, writing of the law.

- Is there enough attention on young people in our country and is their potential used?
- I would not say that there is enough attention turned. But I think that now work has started in this direction. This, which we managed to accomplish during the campaign and with the enlistment of many young people in the GERB project, gave a high result in the elections. I want to underline that 45% of the voters for GERB during July are people between the ages of 18 and 35 years. This shows that we managed to provoke, precisely the youth. I think that this happened, because they participated in the lists and in the preparation of the governmental program of the current government. We saw that they are part of the decision making process, that they are participants, not only observers.

- What repels the young from politics?
- I think that this, which repels them, is that so far they were witnesses of talk, not connected with real actions. This, that the politic was associated with a dirty word, with something bad. And in reality even if we don’t want to get involved with politic, politic gets involved with us. So, if we really want to change something, the highest number of young people, need to be permitted, so they can change the system. Because, the truth is that the system is changed from the inside. Being outside, you can only mark the flaws. By the way, our country is being criticized on European level, that we don’t have a national youth council. This is something like a consultative organ, which includes non-government organisations and the youth organisations of political parties.

- You are a Member of the Foreign Policy and Defence Committee. From GERB you defined the last report of the European Commission as positive. But where should the most work be put forth and which criticisms trouble you?
- Indeed the report is positive on the background of the past reports for our country. Of course we recognize the moments, which need a great amount of work. This is a technical report and it is of great importance what we are about to do in the upcoming several months. So the document should motivate us even more to work in the right direction, but not to slow the reforms in the spheres, in which we are criticized the most – the fight against corruption and organised crime. Here is the delicate moment what will happen in the judicial system. We count on them, to give the maximum from themselves. Because Brussels looks at Bulgaria as whole picture, not only as faces or defined political powers. In the end the image is this, which gives you the opportunity to do positive things. The brand defines the quality and the perception of our partners.

- Then what should we change in our foreign policy?
- I would say that we have started to make these changes. Traveling with delegations, I observe, that Bulgaria now has a position on the international forums. If until this our country was viewed as a YES MAN – with the raising of a hand, now even if we agree on a given position, we share our opinion and we go out with a point of view regarding the concrete problems. I think that Bulgaria should be really more active. The European Union can be a factor regarding the advantages, which are being given by the Lisbon Treaty. Bulgaria with the portfolio of its European commissioner participates in the building of the outside image of the EU and will have a great contribution in this direction, because we are responsible for humanitarian aid and crisis response. After the Lisbon Treaty every law forging act will go through the national parliaments and here is our role as members of parliament. Points of view need to be given, before the corresponding commissions of the European Parliament are reached. If we manage to use the advantages of the Lisbon Treaty, we can have not only a stronger Bulgarian foreign policy, but a stronger European foreign policy.

- Yes, but one term, such as the Lisbon Treaty does it not sound still too far away for the ordinary Bulgarian? Do the people realize the advantages for your country from this document?
- Here again is our role, as members of parliament, to point out these moments during our meetings with the voters. We need to explain to people in a more understandable language what is happening in Brussels. They need to know, that they have the opportunity for the so called civil initiative. If one million citizens from the European Union unite around one idea, they have the right for a law forging initiative. This is a challenge in front of us. As a whole young people are informed about the processes in Europe. Mobility and the feeling for a wider European identity, is characteristically typical for them.

- Did the attitude of Brussels change towards our country?
- I would say that now we have been given a credit of trust. Our European partners see the positive steps, which we have made during these several months. But there is still work to be done, because there is no way for a negative image to be cleaned in such a short time. But I can not deny, that the steps in the right direction can be seen and this credit of trust is being given, which we need to justify.

- How does the National Assembly look as an institution in your eyes? After all you are one of the youngest members of parliament.
- If I say, that it is a wonderful place, I will not be completely sincere. Because, the system is clumsy, but it is important, to have young people, so they can express the other point of view. But I think that for a young person the executive power is more dynamic. But every power has its advantages and disadvantages.

- Isn’t excessive energy wasted with the procedure for the impeachment of the president?
- As a young person I feel uncomfortable that the politic in Bulgaria can not somehow surpass a determined level. There are people, who are trying to give another model of behavior. I would even form two types of mentalities, which are being formed in the Bulgarian politic at the moment. From one side there is the pre-modern, which is a lot more conservative and when leaving a determined frame, feels more uncomfortable. From the other side there is the modern mentality, which is of more flexibility. While in the first - power is perceived as an instrument, in the second – as responsibility. Because of this, I feel sorry, that the head of state, which has to embody the unity of the nation, let one personal irritation from something, which wasn’t even said in a television show, to become a conflict between the institutions. I do not think that so much energy is wasted, but the question is about principle. We want to show one moral position, because in reality the right of a citizen was violated. This leads everyone to the thought that we can be affected. And this should not happen, because we are all equal in front of the law. There was one thought that in front of the law the dwarf is such a person, such is the giant.

A representative of MGERB took part in the second module of the Regional Program of the Bulgarian School of Politics

29/03/10

The second module of the Regional Program of the Bulgarian School of Politics for 2009/2010 was held from the 24th of March until the 28th of March 2010 in Sarajevo. The title of the module was “Challenges in front of the participation of young people in politics for the youth on the Balkans: good practices and lessons, which need to be learned by us”. Thirty-two people participated from Bulgaria, Croatia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro. Among the participants were representatives of the youth organisations of the major political parties in their corresponding countries, as well as representative of media and non-government organisations. MGERB was represented by Deyan Nikolov – Member of MGERB Sofia.

The course included lections on different topics, connected with the participation of young people in politics, on regional and local level, as well as national level. The lecturers were experts from the private and government sector, as well as representatives of non-government organisations from the Balkans.

During the seminar the participants had an official meeting with Mr. Gavrilo Grahovac - Federal Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and Sports of Bosnia and Herzegovina. During which he introduced the policies of the young people, the problems and their solutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

During the whole course of the training the focus was on working in small groups (simulation games), which were connected with solving cases, regarding different problems of the countries on the Balkan Peninsula. In the end of the course the participants gave their ideas connected with the Day of the Balkans, which will take place during the last module in Sofia from the 10th of June till the 14th of June 2010.

Over 20 000 people took part in the youth campaign “SOS – Save the Education Now!”

29/03/10

On a special press conference at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Science the organisers of the campaign jointly with Minister Ignatov and the Member of Parliament – Monika Panayotova, announced yesterday, the 29th of March, the end of the campaign.

It started by the idea of MGERB in the middle of February and ended with the handing over of the collected suggestions and ideas from all over the country to the education minister. In total there were over 20 000 people who took part in the campaign, as the most active were those on Facebook - over 12 000. There were over 6 000 visits on the blog of the campaign, several thousand people were those who visited the mobile campaign tents on their locations. The idea of those suggestions is the best of them to lay in the base of the project Law for Higher Education.

In the continuation of a whole month the young people traveled through all 28 regional cities of the country and managed to collect over two thousand opinions and suggestions connected with the reform in higher education. The main problems, which are being pointed out are: the high amount of corruption in education, the high number of universities and the lack of connection between higher education and business. According to the words of Monika Panayotova – Chairwoman of MGERB, the connection between education and business, as well as realization is among the other worries of the university students: “Introducing a more practical part in education, this will give them a greater possibility to feel more confident and useful, graduating and starting their first job”. According to Minister Ignatov there is an exceptionally great need of the energy and pressure of young people in Bulgaria, especially regarding problems, which directly target them.

These, as well as many other problems in the sphere of higher education need to be solved with the new Law for Higher Education, which is being developed at the moment in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Science.

Monika Panayotova and MGERB Sofia took part in the initiative “Setting roots in Bulgaria”

28/03/10

On the 28th of March on the Bulgarian holiday – Tsvetnica, over 100 youths from the region of Blagoevgrad, Kustendil and Sofia gathered in Rupite, in order to plant trees together, because of the holiday. The initiative under the motto “Setting roots in Bulgaria” is organised for a second consecutive year by Kalin Kamenov – Regional Coordinator of MGERB Blagoevgrad.

Despite the bad weather and the rain the shrine of Grandmother Vanga gathered enthusiastic young people, part of which was Monika Panayotova – Chairwoman of MGERB and Member of Parliament in the 41st National Assembly. Along with her, the holiday and the initiative of the young people was also honored by her colleagues from the parliamentary group of GERB – Georgi Andonov and Mitko Zahov. They also planted a tree, which symbolizes their desire to stay in Bulgaria. The greater majority of the planted trees from the past year by MGERB, over 200 in number, had already settled in, which further stimulated the youths to not give up on their ideas and to work for a better Bulgaria for living.