Although the elections for new members of the European Parliament will be held in less than two months, the current EP discusses amendments to EU directives that would influence negatively some of the fundamental principles of the European Union such as freedom of movement of people, goods, services, capital, competition and single market. We are talking about the Mobility 1 Package and the second attempt of some countries to put that package to voting at the last plenary session of the European Parliament between April 1 and 4. In an interview for Radio Bulgaria, the MEP from the European Conservatives and Reformists Group Angel Dzhambazki said that it is difficult to predict the outcome of the voting, because:

On April 1 the Mobility 1 Package will enter the European Parliament’s Transport and Tourism Committee. The committee will vote the package on April 2. Then, it will be discussed at a mini plenary session on April 3 and on April 4 the Mobility 1 Package will be voted by the MEPs. We have prepared a series of proposals allowed by the rules of the EP, because we are following the regulations unlike our opponents who violate drastically their own rules. Unfortunately, I cannot predict what would happen (because of the three Bulgarian MEPs who did not take part at the voting last week). We missed a golden opportunity.

The MEP from the European People’s Party Andrey Novakov also believes that the Mobility 1 Package should be voted by the next European Parliament, when a balance that guarantees equal condition for the business, better labor conditions and remuneration of transport workers can be achieved in a more peaceful setting. Meanwhile, the topic about Brexit was again on the agenda, because the MEPs were waiting to learn whether the United Kingdom would leave the EU on the agreed date March 29. However, Brexit was delayed for April 12, for now. Brexit was in the focus of the discussion organized by the Bulgarian National Radio themed Ideas about Europe – Crisis, Integration or Disintegration, Perspectives and Risks. Four Bulgarian MEPs from different political families voiced opinions on this topic – Andrey Kovatchev from the European People’s Party, Angel Dzhambazki from the European Conservatives and Reformists, Georgi Pirinski from the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats and Ilhan Kyuchyuk from the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (ALDE). In Andrey Kovatchev’s view, the only positive effect from Brexit is that no other EU country will follow the example of Great Britain in the foreseeable future. Angel Dzhambazki reminded that Brexit is partly due to the invitation of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the people loving in zone of conflicts in the Middle East to come to Europe. It triggered a refugee wave and London has a reason to try to protect itself from that refuge wave, Angel Dzhambazki said. Ilhan Kyuchyuk said that the EU is under a severe attack, because a country which pays EUR 11 billion membership fee on an annual basis, has nuclear facilities and permanent members at the UN Security Council, is about to leave the EU.

In Georgi Pirinski’s view, Brexit is a sign of a deep crisis within the European Union, which is due to the fact that many people, including some Bulgarians, think that the EU is the main problem, rather than part of the problem’s solution. This is an adjustment, Georgi Pirinski went on to say and added:

This adjustment must be questioned seriously, because it is rather due to an emotional response against one or other, real or imaginary disappointments from the EU. All people must answer the question what changes or processes they would like to see happening in the EU and decide for themselves which formation offers such changes.

Political expert Strahil Deliyski made an interesting comment about the current condition of Europe. In his view, it is in a crisis of meaning which is due to the change of the idea about the Social Europe, which was one of the main pillars of the EU during its establishment in the post-war period, with a neoliberal political platform in the past 15 years.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov