15/07/10
So far there was a lack of moral in politics we are taking steps to build it. We will be active participants in the daily order of the European Union
- Miss Panayotova today (Editors note – yesterday) you were chosen as Chairperson of the Committee on European Affairs and Oversight of the European Funds. What will be the priorities of your work?
- You know that, so far I haven’t been a member of this commission and because of this I will need a little time for adaptation. As a whole, the course, which is followed by the government, is to be an active participant in the daily order of the European Union. After the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty the role of the national parliaments is exceptionally important and this will be a challenge towards us, as members of parliament. Before the normative acts go for examination and voting in the resource commissions of the European Parliament, they will go through the national parliaments. So in the frame of a couple of weeks we will need to react with a standpoint. The other thing that the commission will be engaged actively, is regarding the control on the European funds. That is why the direct contact with the resource minister Mr. Tomislav Donchev is of exceptional importance. You know that the main targets in this direction are to accelerate payments, to be prepared many new projects, so that in practice the structural and cohesion fund can be used as an anti-crisis measure. After all it’s a question of fresh money and we need to do everything possible, so that they can go into our economy. Particularly now in a period of a crisis, from another side, it is very dynamical, which is happening in Brussels. You know that the foreign policy and the policy for security, is being reorganized after the Lisbon Treaty. So we will have a lot of work, also with the Foreign Policy and Defence Committee. Now is the moment, because from one side the new conception for NATO is being prepared, and from another the new changes for the European policy for security and defence are being introduced. You know that ¾ of the member countries of NATO are members of the European Union, that’s why we will be having joint actions with the resource commission in this direction. It is very important to work as a team, to have coordination and good synchronization with our representatives in the European Parliament, as well, because the area is exceptionally dynamical. There are a lot of changes in Brussels and the active participation of Bulgaria is important.
- As a main drawback was pointed the tempo of assimilation of the European money. Are the things being cleared in this direction?
- Yes. Definitely there is progress with the creation of the position of Mr. Donchev. If a comparison is made, during July 2009 we had payments for 0.67%, while now they are 4.6%. The difference is tangible. The target, which we set forth, is there to be payments between 10% and 11%, which according to the LOTHAR system for accounting of the financial progress of these programs is an achievement. Control over the assimilation must be achieved. Definitely now, there is a change in communication with Brussels. This which we are headed towards is there to be complete transparency and things getting done during direct dialogue. Only in this way will the possibilities for the “unpleasant surprise” effect be eliminated, which we have been witnesses of during the past government. Because of that our country had a negative image. That’s why my appeal to the representatives of the socialists in the European Parliament is for them to be representatives of Bulgaria, and to highlight on the national, rather then the party interest. The image of our country is exceptionally important. Nothing can happen, when you don’t have the mark “Bulgaria”.
- Can a law for lobbyism have a positive effect in this direction?
- Yes, I definitely support the creation of such a law. Even before I became a member of GERB, I was in a non-government organisation and there we worked on projects, connected with lobbyism. But according to me at the moment publicly the term lobbyism is interpreted in a not correct way. Lobbyism is characteristic for all democratic countries. When we speak for lobbyism in the positive manner, it needs to be regulated with a law and be legitimate. This means to be connected with the ethical codex and civil control being asserted on lobbyism. And not in the last place – it needs to be exceptionally transparent. When these three things are not fulfilled, then we are not talking about lobbyism, but for corruption. And you know that a main priority for us, as governing is the fight against corruption. That’s why a law for lobbyism on its own is a necessity, but it is not enough. Everything depends on the members of parliament and on inside control.
- How do you assess the legislative activity of this parliament one year into the government of GERB?
- I think we achieved many things in connection for this National Assembly to be regarded as a more responsible institution. According to me there is a great progress regarding discipline of behavior of work in the commissions. Of course the effect can never be 100%, but at least there is a will for that. Now there is striving for a new type of behavior in parliament. Regarding the normative acts the good thing is that everything is happening in exceptional transparency. This, which GERB is doing, is a precedent. Never before have things happened so openly which, creates a delicate atmosphere. Now everyone knows that every action is watched and when you are not playing by the rules, you are sanctioned. We can not account that also in the sphere of defence, inner order and security and education, there have been really reforming laws, which created the normative frame which allowed for the changes in those spheres. In the end the normative act is a starting point for every single thing.
- Which bills remain priorities for the National Assembly?
- A priority is to pass the election codex, because this is an engagement even in our election campaign. We want to end the vice practice for the changes to occur at 12 without 5. In that way the rules will be the same for everyone and we can follow them.
-Have the scandals around GERB during the past couple of weeks and the followed resignations had a negative effect on the party?
- According to me what happened had a rather healing effect. The leadership showed clearly, that there are no ours and yours in the party. There are clear rules and when you don’t follow them, you are sanctioned. The term “new moral” has already turned into a cliché, because I have already said before that there is no new moral. The reason is that so far there was no such in politic and we are taking steps to build it. Till now moral and politics have always been mutually incompatible. We showed that we have a completely different type of behaviour and that we are not doing PR actions. Now there are principles during politic.
- Did GERB really put an end to the vice practice of the placement of political umbrellas?
- I think so. Our actions show that. That’s why I say that this is a precedent. I don’t think that any of the past governing could deny it. You know in what state the country was left in. These unfulfilled contracts for around 2 billion Bulgarian levs, the abuses which were committed… And you see, that the people, who are responsible for all of this, at the moment are members of parliament. Even their own party is not distancing from them.
- - -
Business card
She was born on the 19th of August 1983 in Sofia. She graduates 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 is chosen as Chairperson of the Committee on European Affairs and Oversight of the European Funds.
An interview made by Yana Jordanova for Monitor Newspaper
So far there was a lack of moral in politics we are taking steps to build it. We will be active participants in the daily order of the European Union
- Miss Panayotova today (Editors note – yesterday) you were chosen as Chairperson of the Committee on European Affairs and Oversight of the European Funds. What will be the priorities of your work?
- You know that, so far I haven’t been a member of this commission and because of this I will need a little time for adaptation. As a whole, the course, which is followed by the government, is to be an active participant in the daily order of the European Union. After the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty the role of the national parliaments is exceptionally important and this will be a challenge towards us, as members of parliament. Before the normative acts go for examination and voting in the resource commissions of the European Parliament, they will go through the national parliaments. So in the frame of a couple of weeks we will need to react with a standpoint. The other thing that the commission will be engaged actively, is regarding the control on the European funds. That is why the direct contact with the resource minister Mr. Tomislav Donchev is of exceptional importance. You know that the main targets in this direction are to accelerate payments, to be prepared many new projects, so that in practice the structural and cohesion fund can be used as an anti-crisis measure. After all it’s a question of fresh money and we need to do everything possible, so that they can go into our economy. Particularly now in a period of a crisis, from another side, it is very dynamical, which is happening in Brussels. You know that the foreign policy and the policy for security, is being reorganized after the Lisbon Treaty. So we will have a lot of work, also with the Foreign Policy and Defence Committee. Now is the moment, because from one side the new conception for NATO is being prepared, and from another the new changes for the European policy for security and defence are being introduced. You know that ¾ of the member countries of NATO are members of the European Union, that’s why we will be having joint actions with the resource commission in this direction. It is very important to work as a team, to have coordination and good synchronization with our representatives in the European Parliament, as well, because the area is exceptionally dynamical. There are a lot of changes in Brussels and the active participation of Bulgaria is important.
- As a main drawback was pointed the tempo of assimilation of the European money. Are the things being cleared in this direction?
- Yes. Definitely there is progress with the creation of the position of Mr. Donchev. If a comparison is made, during July 2009 we had payments for 0.67%, while now they are 4.6%. The difference is tangible. The target, which we set forth, is there to be payments between 10% and 11%, which according to the LOTHAR system for accounting of the financial progress of these programs is an achievement. Control over the assimilation must be achieved. Definitely now, there is a change in communication with Brussels. This which we are headed towards is there to be complete transparency and things getting done during direct dialogue. Only in this way will the possibilities for the “unpleasant surprise” effect be eliminated, which we have been witnesses of during the past government. Because of that our country had a negative image. That’s why my appeal to the representatives of the socialists in the European Parliament is for them to be representatives of Bulgaria, and to highlight on the national, rather then the party interest. The image of our country is exceptionally important. Nothing can happen, when you don’t have the mark “Bulgaria”.
- Can a law for lobbyism have a positive effect in this direction?
- Yes, I definitely support the creation of such a law. Even before I became a member of GERB, I was in a non-government organisation and there we worked on projects, connected with lobbyism. But according to me at the moment publicly the term lobbyism is interpreted in a not correct way. Lobbyism is characteristic for all democratic countries. When we speak for lobbyism in the positive manner, it needs to be regulated with a law and be legitimate. This means to be connected with the ethical codex and civil control being asserted on lobbyism. And not in the last place – it needs to be exceptionally transparent. When these three things are not fulfilled, then we are not talking about lobbyism, but for corruption. And you know that a main priority for us, as governing is the fight against corruption. That’s why a law for lobbyism on its own is a necessity, but it is not enough. Everything depends on the members of parliament and on inside control.
- How do you assess the legislative activity of this parliament one year into the government of GERB?
- I think we achieved many things in connection for this National Assembly to be regarded as a more responsible institution. According to me there is a great progress regarding discipline of behavior of work in the commissions. Of course the effect can never be 100%, but at least there is a will for that. Now there is striving for a new type of behavior in parliament. Regarding the normative acts the good thing is that everything is happening in exceptional transparency. This, which GERB is doing, is a precedent. Never before have things happened so openly which, creates a delicate atmosphere. Now everyone knows that every action is watched and when you are not playing by the rules, you are sanctioned. We can not account that also in the sphere of defence, inner order and security and education, there have been really reforming laws, which created the normative frame which allowed for the changes in those spheres. In the end the normative act is a starting point for every single thing.
- Which bills remain priorities for the National Assembly?
- A priority is to pass the election codex, because this is an engagement even in our election campaign. We want to end the vice practice for the changes to occur at 12 without 5. In that way the rules will be the same for everyone and we can follow them.
-Have the scandals around GERB during the past couple of weeks and the followed resignations had a negative effect on the party?
- According to me what happened had a rather healing effect. The leadership showed clearly, that there are no ours and yours in the party. There are clear rules and when you don’t follow them, you are sanctioned. The term “new moral” has already turned into a cliché, because I have already said before that there is no new moral. The reason is that so far there was no such in politic and we are taking steps to build it. Till now moral and politics have always been mutually incompatible. We showed that we have a completely different type of behaviour and that we are not doing PR actions. Now there are principles during politic.
- Did GERB really put an end to the vice practice of the placement of political umbrellas?
- I think so. Our actions show that. That’s why I say that this is a precedent. I don’t think that any of the past governing could deny it. You know in what state the country was left in. These unfulfilled contracts for around 2 billion Bulgarian levs, the abuses which were committed… And you see, that the people, who are responsible for all of this, at the moment are members of parliament. Even their own party is not distancing from them.
- - -
Business card
She was born on the 19th of August 1983 in Sofia. She graduates 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 is chosen as Chairperson of the Committee on European Affairs and Oversight of the European Funds.
An interview made by Yana Jordanova for Monitor Newspaper
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