1. A critical perspective on Bulgaria’s development in the Europe of the two speeds
Vladimir Mitev
Conference “Quo vadis, European public space? The EU reform and its implications with regard to security and public communication”
Bucharest 2017

2. Europe of the speeds
The EU is amidst difficult debates about its future
The White Book of the European Commission suggests 5 scenarios for the EU development
In The Declaration of Roma the EU rulers stipulate their preference for the formula “Europe of the speeds”
The regional dialogue is on the rise – e.g. in a Mediterranean format or in the frame of the Group of Visegrad

3. Bulgaria’s foreign policy in the EU
Bulgaria recognizes Kosovo in 2008 together with Croatia and Hungary, and thus it separates from Greece and Romania, who have not recognized the Balkan state until today
Starting with 2009 the Bulgarian foreign policy oscillates between orientation towards the Middle East, the Eastern Partnership and the anti-Russian line. The tradition regions of interest – the Balkans and the Black Sea, remain behind as priorities due to different causes
In the summer of 2016 the Bulgarian prime minister Boyko Borisov rejects the proposal for the creation of a NATO flotilla in the Black Sea (between Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria)
In January 2017 general Rumen Radev becomes the president of Bulgaria, promising a policy that recognizes to a greater extent the national interest

4. Quo vadis, Bulgaria? (schools of thought)
The young
The elder
Representatives: Dimitar Bechev, Vessela Cherneva, Vladimir Shopov
Belong to the right part of the spectrum
They want a deeper integration of Bulgaria into the integrationst circles of the EU, such as: the banking union, the eurozone, Schengen, the energy union and so on
Goal: Bulgaria should not remain a periphery of the EU
Representatives: Lyubomir Kyuchukov, Georgi Pirinski, Valentin Radomirski
Diplomats, who have studied in Moscow and have specialized in the West. They have negotiated with success Bulgaria’s accession to NATO and the EU
They search for the Bulgarian answer to “The Europe of the speeds” in a greater activity on regional level in the European context
Goal: Bulgaria to be a member-state of the EU with its own added value

5. Dimitar Bechev
After Brexit the center of gravity in the EU is moving towards the eurozone
The Bulgarian answer to the European changes should be directed towards actions for an urgent adoption of the common currency
In the short term Bulgaria should look for accession to the banking union
A vital topic for the Bulgarian presidency of the Council of the EU (the first half of 2018) are the future relations and the institutional organization of the relations between the countries of the eurozone and those who have not adopted yet the common currency. The goal is to avoid the marginalization of Bulgaria.
Professor at the University of North Carolina, USA
Senior researcher at The Alantic Council, Washington
Expert on the foreign policy of the EU, the Balkans, Turkey and Russia
Has a doctorate from the Oxford Univeristy, and specializations at Harvard and the London School of Economics

6. Vessela Cherneva
She believes that until September-November 2017 Bulgaria should develop and propose ideas and initiatives that would lead to its integration in the circles of the EU. Possible directions of activity are:
The Eurozone – Bulgaria’s budget is stable, and when it adopts the euro the bank bankruptcies will be avoided
Schengen plus – a community for advanced cooperation with the member-states of the Schengen. Bulgaria could help them with its position about the EU borders’ protection
European Prosecution – look at 4
Joint European Defense – the initiatives 3 and 4 probably could be realized only within groups of interests and not at the level of the whole EU
Energy Union – the region of South-East Europe is interested in energy independence
Director general of the Bulgarian office of the The European Council for Foreign Policy
Spokesman of the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs ( )
Secretary ( ) of The International Commission on the Balkans chaired by Giuliano Amato
Employee of the Bulgarian embassy in Washington ( ) and of the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sofia ( )
MA in International Relations at the University of Bonn, Germany

7. Lyubomir Kyuchukov
Suggests the creation of an European strategy for the Black Sea region – the only European sea that has remained “ownerless”, after the Baltic and the Ionian-Adriatic euroregions have been created, while there are other forms of collaboration for the Mediterranean Sea
The goal of this collaboration and activity of the EU in the Black Sea region is lowering of the regional tensions
He has launched together with the former foreign minister Solomon Passy the idea for creation of a group of the member-states of the EU in the South-East region – Romania, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia and Bulgaria, called “The Balkan Visegrad” or B-5
Believes that the most natural cooperation in the EU is the one between Romania and Bulgaria
Director of ИThe Economics and International Relation Institute, Sofia, Bulgaria
Bulgarian ambassador to London ( )
Deputy minister of foreign relations ( )
Starts his diplomatic career as an attaché at the Bulgarian embassy in Bucharest. Speaks Romanian
He has graduated from the Moscow State Institute on International Relations. He has specialized in the Georgetown University in Washington

8. Georgi Pirinski
Supports the creation of an European macroregion around the Black Sea and the development of a macroregional strategy of the EU in this region
Believes that Romania and Bulgaria in their capacity of member-states of the EU “have their responsibility and role for the realization of the common goals of the Union in support of peace and sustainable development”
In his view the Bulgarian presidency of the EU (the first half of 2018) and the Romanian one (the first half of 2019) together with the Austrian in-between give Sofia and Bucharest the chance to initiate and defend a project for macroregional strategy in the Black Sea region, which is to be discussed and adopted by the European Council
From 2014 on he is a member of the European Parliament
Former president of the Bulgarian Parliament ( )
Former foreign minister ( )
Member of six Bulgarian parliaments ( )
He has graduated from the High economic institute “Karl Marx” In Sofia

9. The Black Sea Region
Source: Wikpedia

10. The idea for an European strategy towards the Black Sea region
Context
Goals
After 2013 the tensions in the region grew and now Russia and Turkey have difficult relations with the EU, while Ukraine and Russia are in confrontation
There is no military solution to the many frozen conflicts in the Black Sea region. At the same time there is a need for lowering of the regional tensions
The Black Sea is the only European sea that has remained “ownerless”
The countries of the region don’t have the sufficient time to allow themselves not to do anything about the region’s problems such as Crimea, Ukraine, the other frozen conflicts, the arms build-up in the spirit of the Cold War and so on.
The countries around the Black sea could resolve issues they can’t overcome separate through coordination
A common vision for the future of the region could be created
A European strategy for the Black Sea means the allocation of more European funds for the regional and sustainable development
The tension in the region will get lower if countries set forth on political and economic cooperation, instead of confrontation

11. The different cooperation formats
The Black Sea Synergy
The European Black Sea strategy
An instrument which includes all the countries of the region, which is not sustained with enough funds
The involvement of the Synergy and of the Partnership in “a common strategic framework with the participation of all the Black Sea countries without any doubt would help for the more effective use of the financial resources of these programs in the name of the goals for sustainable development of the coastal territories of the corresponding countries and the region as a whole.”, claims Georgi Pirinski.
Lyubomir Kyuchukov: the decade after the start of the Synergy (2008) urges for a recapitulation of its effectivity: “The Synergy should be reactivated by way of receiving an additional financial and institutional resource, while at the same time it is upgraded and becomes a practice mechanism for the realization of the wider and long-term strategic approach of the EU towards the region of the Black Sea, as it is embodied in the Black Sea Agenda.”
The Eastern Partnership
An instrument of exclusion (leaves Russia and Turkey out)
After the beginning of the regional tension in 2013 the Eastern Partnership replaces the Synergy as a preferred instrument of the EU. However, it doesn’t help lowering the tension

12. The young experts’ vision
Bulgaria should fight so that it doesn’t remain a periphery in an EU of changes and redefinition
It is imperative that Sofia asks for integration into the different circles of the EU: eurozone, banking union, energy union, other common policies so that it becomes a part of the Europe’s heart
There is no alternative to the advanced integration of Bulgaria inside the European structures, because “the relationships with China, Russia and Turkey are not relevant direct”.
Bulgaria is powerful and modern to the extent of its integration and mix with the countries and the interests of the core of the EU

13. The old experts’ vision
Sofia’s attempts to play the role of a subcontractor of the West in the Middle East or with regard to other distant topics and spaces don’t give fruit
Bulgaria should be the subject of its own foreign policy, in other words to have its own thoughts and initiatives, instead of seeing its participation in the EU as a technical activity
Bulgaria could give added value to the EU only in its traditional regions of interest: the Balkans and the Black Sea
The tendency for regionalism is on the rise in the EU

14. Thank you for the attention!
The Kaliakra Stronghold, South Dobruja
Autor: IvanGeoPetrov