Stanishev for Economist: Bulgaria, Greece and Romania must defend their interests in the EU together

"When I last came to Bucharest, Romania was politically stable, with economic growth and good prospects. Back then, Bulgaria was mired in political timelessness and uncertainty, after a series of elections. Now my country has a regular government and most Bulgarians hope that it will make the necessary reforms and efforts towards competitiveness and joining the eurozone. Today, at the forum, the most repeated message from institutions and businesses is political stability. Without it, any economic reforms are doomed.

The big task facing the Bulgarian government today is to conduct a broad public campaign for the adoption of the euro, with which to dispel the fears imposed by some politicians in recent years, as well as to create an organization at the institutional level, to prevent speculation and the resulting realization of expectations for increased inflation.”

This was stated by Sergey Stanishev during his participation as a keynote speaker at the Fifth Annual Business and Investment Roundtable of the Economist in Bucharest, Romania.

 “I am following with great attention the decision of the Bundestag on the issue of the debtbrake and the change in the Constitution. Germany sets the tone for Europe, and such a decision carries many risks – from the adoption of a similar policy by other countries to the overall security of the eurozone,” Stanishev answered a question from the audience about the upcoming steps in Berlin.

What is happening in the CEE countries is an echo of the big picture

“Since Trump entered the White House, the big picture has changed, but he is clear and predictable. First, he is introducing tariffs to try to win the economic competition with China. Second, he wants to end all conflicts – for example, in Ukraine and Israel, so that they do not distract America from the race with the Asian tiger. Third, he is starting a conservative revolution in the US.

The introduction of tariffs and the destruction of long-standing partnerships will have a negative effect on Americans and the US economy in the long term. But I hope they are a wake-up call for Europe. We must finally realize the need to become a major geopolitical player, to focus on our own competitiveness and productivity and to look around – we have over 70 agreements with other economies around the world, Trump’s tariffs can make us attractive to other partners who want predictability and decent treatment.”

We can’t stop the calendar – we need political will and quick decisions from the EU

“Instead, the behavior of European leaders resembles the comedian’s sketch from “Oh, this Jazz” – in it he plays out the five stages of grief: the first is denial, the second is anger, the third is trading or bargaining, the fourth is depression and the fifth is acceptance. We don’t have time, we need political will and quick decisions.”

“What I miss in the image of Europe is the diplomacy that was built into its creation as a peace project. Now we want to participate in the peace talks?! Great! Why didn’t we express this desire during the negotiations in Istanbul or during Ukraine’s victory in the Kharkiv region in 2023?” Stanishev asked rhetorically.

“A fundamental change in the decision-making process in Europe is also needed. In order for the voices of Bulgaria, Greece and Romania to be heard, the three countries must act together, as a thematic coalition. We all suffer from the incompleteness of the single market in energy, transport and capital markets. We all pay higher prices for electricity, our businesses lose competitiveness and we struggle with poor infrastructure. If we want to succeed, we need to have a common plan for the future of the region, which we can put on the table in the EU. It is high time to also take measures for demography and new skills, which will determine what the labor market of tomorrow will look like.”