PES activists interview: Sergei Stanishev, October 2006

Sergei Stanishev is prime minister of Bulgaria and Chairman of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP). Since April 2004 he has also been a member of the presidency of the Party of European Socialists. Soon the Council will decide about the entrance of Bulgaria into the EU.

 
Elaine: Being one of the candidate countries to enter the EU, Bulgaria had to adopt new economical and social policies as well as undergo some changes in the administrative system. How did these actions affect Bulgarian society?

Sergei Stanishev: Very often, in order to satisfy the membership criteria, we had to undertake measures that at first glance seemed unpopular to the public. This could not but reflect negatively on the government’s popularity and this process is still going on. But I think that people have recognized the necessity and inevitability of such measures. Bulgarians paid and are still paying a high price for their EU membership. Ours is not an easy job – to convince people in the necessity of often unpopular measures that in most of the cases concern directly their social status and opportunities for personal well-being.
    Upon forming the coalition government last year we undertook a package of commitments and it is more than natural for the government to face criticism on separate items. It is impossible to implement all measures for a year only. We keep working on our priorities but this should not be done at the expense of the economical and political stability of the country. There is a constructive public debate on the implementation of the reforms in each area. I would like to stress here the particularly important role of Bulgarian media that is very powerful in the country. And thus a consensus is increasingly forming amid the Bulgarian public as to the need of seeing the reforms through. There is an emerging awareness in the public that life and work by a set of common European rules is the key to success in the European family.


Dimitra and Alan: Dear Mr. Prime Minister: Bulgaria has fought hard to join the EU. Congratulations to all Bulgarians on gaining accession. We look forward to working together for a future of peace and prosperity for all of our peoples. What are your hopes for the future, and what are the first steps you must take? Will there be a fast change in your country?

Sergei Stanishev: Thank you for the congratulations. I have repeatedly pointed out that the positive outcome of Bulgaria’s EU membership is that our life will be governed by the European rules. I really believe in the common perspective for European countries and can see a strong and prosperous EU in the future. We can be successful only within a common successful European project and I can assure you that Bulgaria will contribute to the prosperity of the European Union.
    I would like to repeat that we do not expect miracles – we, Bulgarians, are very down-to-earth and realize that there is still a lot to be done. Above all else, we shall channel efforts into tackling the problems identified in the Final Monitoring Report of the European Commission with the major aim of achieving feasible practical results. The people of Bulgaria should see the opportunities presented to them after the EU membership and be conscious that it is up to them to make the most of it. We have the determination and political will to create the conditions for this. It is up to us whether we will be a successful EU member. Our work shall not stop even for a second and there is unity on political, institutional and civil level in this regard.

 
Todor: Dear Mr Prime Minister, are you sure that when we will be part of EU you will be able to cut off corruption in our country?

Sergei Stanishev: The government adopted a long-term Anti-Corruption Strategy that is being implemented at a brisk pace but miracles should not be expected. We hope that the decisive measures we have undertaken to this end will soon bring about clear practical results. In the meantime, we are convinced that as a full EU member from January 1, 2007 and in cooperation with other EU member states, Bulgaria will be able to make faster visible progress in this area.
The fight against corruption is prompted by both our desire to fulfill EU membership criteria and by the firm belief that this is in the interest of society as a whole. Bulgarian society is really tired by corruption and tries to do its best to get rid of it. The actions we have taken over the past year have been governed by our will to speed up and enhance the reforms in Bulgaria. They will continue at the same speed even after we join the European Union, because this is the shared political will of the government, the institutions and the nation. Despite the bulk of work that has been done so far we are conscious that further efforts are required, particularly in the fight against corruption, organized crime and the reform in the judiciary. We are more than convinced that this is the only way to the modernization of the country and therefore we shall push forward with the reforms.


Ilia: Dear Mr. Stanishev, How would you respond to allegations that the BSP is reluctant to reform and become a modern European social-democratic party? Would you agree that much of the momentum of the communist dictatorship and post-communist period is still moving the cogs in the BSP?

Sergei Stanishev: First of all I will clearly say that at present the BSP is the motive power, one of the chief factors of the stable movement of Bulgaria towards the European Union. During the last year, in which the BSP governs in coalition with other two parties, Bulgaria has made enormous progress in all the reforms and finally will enter the EU on January 1, 2007. As you should know the Bulgarian Socialist Party is a full member of the Socialist International and full member of PES. Do you think that these organizations could accept among their ranks a party which is reluctant to reform or has not adopted the modern European social democratic values? As far as your second question is concerned I would only say that such a momentum has died long ago. I will only remind you that the “ex-communists” started the reforms in 1989. And by the way one should bear in mind that the Bulgarian Communist Party was not a party but a part of the communist state before 1989, part of the administration. And what is more the almost one million members party has fallen apart and a lot of its members entered other parties and even some of them became leaders of right-wing parties. So as they could change their way of  thinking so did our members. The BSP is not a party of cannibals who eats those who think differently. Our party has never organized a witch hunt among its members. We have never denied the right of people to change. So it is not normal to speak about communists in the ranks of the BSP. If someone still needs communism he or she can join one of the communist parties in Bulgaria – there are at least three in this country which function nowadays.


Mark: Due to the changes in the eastern countries we find a lot of young politicians in key positions. You are a young leader. Do you think that age matters to be a good leader?

Sergei Stanishev: Undeniably modern political life is getting more and more dynamic. This is prompted by the realities of our globalizing world in which the only constant parameter is the inconsistency of developments and phenomena. It is naturally then that such a context will place specific requirements on political figures as well.
    The weight of the rich experience of life is an advantage but age cannot make a politician a leader. Leadership, as a personal quality, it is a strictly individual character trait. Let us not forget that there are also different types of leadership. In this effect, it is not obligatory for a leader to be of ripe age, much as it is not obligatory for any established politician of rich worldly knowledge and political experience to possess the qualities of a leader.


Nicola and Edgar: In a lot of new member states, the political developments seem to show a quite unstable party landscape. We have riots in Hungary, a worrying socialist-nationalist coalition in Slovakia, weakened social-democrats after cases of corruption in a lot of ex-communist countries. Do you think that Bulgaria might face similar problems in the future? Do you think social democracy and democratic socialist in the new adherent countries are in crisis? What is the socialist mark of your government?

Sergei Stanishev: I don’t think that Bulgaria may face the problems of Hungary and Slovakia. First of all the party landscape, as you call it, is stable here. I have also said that there is no rule which defines that when a social democratic party comes to power after the accession of the new members there should be a crisis. The crises are not due to the name of the party or its ideology but they are a result of the policy of the party – is it stable and reasonable or full of mistakes. I could give just one example with Hungary and it is – unreasonable policy. At the time when they had 5% deficit they raised the salaries by 50%, which later, along with other mistakes, led to more than doubling of the deficit. We will never make such  steps in Bulgaria. At present Bulgaria has 3% budget surplus. That means we have financial back and we won’t admit any financial destabilization. We have a stable coalition here which has more than strong majority in the parliament. In our first year of government we managed to guarantee political stability and to avoid risks in terms of financial stability. I believe we will continue on the same path. And as the government of European integration, economic growth and social responsibility, as it was named in its programme I think you can easily find where the socialist marks are.

  
Edgar: Do you think Turkey should join the European Union? If not, why? Your country has a big Turkish-Muslim population. Are they treated as equal citizens, what do you think socialists around Europe should do to ensure full civil and economic rights to ethnic minorities?

Sergei Stanishev: Bulgaria will become a full EU member on January 1, 2007 – up to that date Bulgarian representatives in the working bodies of the Council of the European Union are not supposed to participate in the discussion of EU’s stance on enlargement issues, including EU-Turkey membership negotiations. Our country’s position, however, has always coincided with the political will of the Union as to the European perspective for Turkey, and it is a well-known fact that in 2005 the EU decided to launch negotiations with Turkey.
As a future member of the EU and at the same time a country in Southeastern Europe, with clear-cut interests for the European future of the region, Bulgaria supports the EU enlargement processes towards the neighbouring countries, Turkey included. This position of principle is grounded on the consideration that security, stability and prosperity in the countries in the region can be achieved only in the conditions of European environment and integration into the European and Euro-Atlantic institutions. It is precisely for this reason that I regard the positive development of Turkey’s European integration as of great importance to the security and stability both in the region and in the Middle East. I really believe that in the accession process each aspirant country should be judged separately, on its own merits, and according to its fulfillment of the political and economic criteria for membership. What Bulgaria can hand over to Turkey as experience gained in the process of EU negotiations is that strict observance of the commitments taken to the Union is highly appreciated and is the main prerequisite for progress. In the context of the good neighbourhood relations Bulgaria is ready to share its experience of EU negotiations.
As to your second question, as you mentioned, there is really an ethnic and religious diversity in Bulgaria. All citizens in Bulgaria have equal rights guaranteed by the Constitution. I want to underline that the European motto ‘United in Diversity’ is already gaining ground; besides, Bulgaria has turned into an example of a well-functioning ethnic model for a society in which diversity thrives in a peaceful and tolerant environment.
 

Xavier: Dear Mr. Prime Minister, what is your position about the current status of the European constitution? What will be the position of Bulgaria in this issue?

 Sergei Stanishev: Bulgaria signed in Rome the draft Constitution for Europe in the conviction that it is an expression of the collective determination for finding common solutions to the challenges in the world of globalization, and in the belief that this Treaty will be of use to all current and future members and Europe as a whole. I think that the Constitution outlines the trend and the framework of the European unity and creates prerequisites for the EU’s growing role in international politics.
    The European Constitution fell victim to the lack of sufficient communication and to the negative public sentiments in the EU caused by the lack of general awareness of the true nature of the document. I believe that the negative referendums in France and the Netherlands have been taken note of and the dialogue between the institutions and the citizens will be enhanced and will thus give a second chance for the achievement of the objective of this common treaty. In my view, the time for reflection for the adoption of the European Constitution has run out and I hope the German EU Presidency will put to debate this issue at the beginning of 2007 and will give impetus to active dialogue which could provide an adequate and generally accepted solution for all interested parties, which will also be of benefit to the whole of Europe.


Nils: Dear Sergei, I have the feeling that politicians in the EU are negotiating in an unfair way with Romania and Bulgaria, because they are reacting after opinion polls instead of designing politics. Do you also believe that Bulgaria is the scapegoat after the negative constitutional referendums in France and the Netherlands and will therefore only receive some second rate membership?

Sergei Stanishev: We can say that there are still some negative feelings about the membership of Bulgaria and Romania but a lot has been overcome. These were largely influenced by the negative referendums on the European Constitution in France and the Netherlands. Bulgaria will become an EU member on January 1, 2007 and I think a debate on issues concerning public sentiments in each member state will not be unnecessary, but it has already exhausted its potential to become a crucial factor determining the EU membership of the two countries. Bulgaria and Romania will be dignified members of the EU and we have the ambition and opportunity to show that there are no reasons to become a scapegoat of the debates in the separate member states. We are not second rate Europeans and the fact that we will join the EU as a full member on 1 January without safeguard clauses being triggered proves that we are not worse prepared than the ten countries from the fifth wave of enlargement. Let us not forget also that Bulgaria and Romania were kept under unprecedented scrutiny and this is the major outcome of the skepticism among the bulk of European societies. But we did a good job. We shall continue to work in close cooperation with European institutions on the priorities laid down in the government’s programme and on the successful completion of the reforms. Bulgaria’s success will be a success for the European Union as well because a strong European Union depends on the success of each member state.


Aleksander: Camarade, C'est avec beaucoup d'espoirs mais aussi de questions que, certains, attendent l'entrée de la Bulgarie et de la Roumanie dans l'Union européenne. Parmi les questions : les Bulgares sont-ils au courant des obligations qui accompagnent le statut de membre de l'UE notamment en matière de mise en commun des souverainetés nationales ? Pensez-vous que les Bulgares soient prêts à des mises en commun importantes ?

Sergei Stanishev: Bulgaria has long embarked on the path to integration into the European family and in this effect it is logical to follow the principles and rules that derive from this decision. I believe that those who have a responsible and active attitude to their present and their future are well-informed on the issues related to the country’s integration into the EU and are conscious enough that when you want to be part of the common European project, you have to take your duties and responsibilities. The recent geopolitical changes require member states to double efforts in order to speak and act as one. Clearly Bulgaria as any other member state will uphold its national interests but at the same time will have to work for the effective functioning of the Union, and this means partial transfer of its competences to the EU institutions and joint exercise of elements of the national sovereignty, and all this – for the sake of the shared European values and objectives.


Simone: Next year we will have presidential elections in France and there are many discussions who should become our next candidate for the PS. Do you have a favorite who should run for the presidential election?

Sergei Stanishev: Yes, I have a favorite but I don’t think it’s me that should say who is to run for president of your country. The French Socialist Party is one with stable and strong traditions, and it has always have had had renown political figures in its ranks. I think that the party must chose who will be the best candidate for that post. After that it should stand firmly behind him and support all his efforts. One of the most important things, bearing in mind previous elections, is that all the socialists and left thinking people should stand united in support of their candidate for the presidency.


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