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.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment