What are your expectations regarding the participation of Bulgarians abroad in the elections on April 19? Is there a need for a public debate on the participation of our compatriots abroad in the elections for the Bulgarian Parliament?
“Definitely yes! Let us remind our listeners that at the very beginning of our first term with President Radev, we tried to propose organized and structured options for how Bulgarian communities abroad could participate. (…) Not by chance did I propose, and I continue to propose, the creation of an association of these communities that would have its representation before the Bulgarian authorities here in the country, and whose voice would be heard at various levels. Whether this takes the form of different public councils established locally, or through the registration of Bulgarian associations, such structuring is mandatory.
I imposed a veto (on the latest amendments to the Electoral Code, which limit the number of polling stations in countries outside the EU – ed. note), not only because of the constitutional text stating that all Bulgarian citizens have equal rights to vote and to be elected, but because I believe there are no Bulgarians ‘here’ and ‘abroad,’ no ‘us’ and ‘you’ – we are all Bulgarians. My numerous contacts with Bulgarian communities abroad prove every time that people abroad care deeply about their country, and not only out of nostalgia.
On the contrary, young and active people want to return to Bulgaria one day; they want to find a developed country where they can build their careers and secure the future of their children. Why should we keep these people outside the processes taking place here? Why should we deprive them of the right to choose? Yes, it is true that within the European Union there are no such restrictions, but how many Bulgarians live outside the EU? In fact, there are negative consequences of this decision by the National Assembly, because some political parties, driven by purely opportunistic reasons, concentrate this issue on our southern neighbor and the Bulgarians who live there or are of Bulgarian origin. But what about Bulgarians in the United States, where distances are vast, where people sometimes cannot physically or financially reach a polling station to vote? What about Bulgarians in the United Kingdom? That is a huge community!
For me, this is a short-sighted position. Within my powers, I did what had to be done - I vetoed these changes. But again, this parliamentary majority resolved the situation differently. I am not fully convinced that everyone who voted to override the veto truly believes in this decision; rather, they are bound by political expediency and have each found some justification. As for the ‘Abroad’ electoral region – my opinion coincides with that of the National Assembly – we are not ready for such a region. Before building the infrastructure for Bulgarians abroad, this would only be an internal redistribution of mandates, whereas the idea is to hear the voice of people outside Bulgaria who care about what happens in our country and what path it takes. With this half-measure, we could not achieve that goal. So it would be good to have another two-year transitional period in which, in a calmer post-election environment, this can be carefully considered. (…) It is not a cliché – Bulgarians abroad are an enormous potential. Do you know what it means to me when, at official meetings with heads of government and presidents, they speak with such admiration about Bulgarians working in their countries? I will give you a concrete example – leading specialists at Microsoft in Seattle are Bulgarians, and their developments in artificial intelligence were ahead of those of their American or Chinese colleagues (…). You can imagine what kind of capacity and intellect we are talking about – and now we will tell these people they cannot vote. How is that possible?”
The depopulation of entire regions is a strategic problem for Bulgaria. Are you prepared to place the issue of internal migration as a priority on the national agenda?
“Unfortunately, this topic surfaces only during election campaigns. Since returning from my previous work in Brussels, I have not seen a single institution, apart from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, which did an excellent job with a very serious study, take this issue seriously. This cannot be the work of the president alone, nor of the prime minister alone, nor of the National Assembly alone. What is needed is a comprehensive long-term strategy, because this concerns everything from funding to people’s ability to live in different parts of Bulgaria and have equal starting conditions and equal opportunities.
A large part of the collapse we observe is also due to people who are abroad, but no one has left their homeland and family for no reason – everyone has their own motives. Of course, in today’s world there are many young people seeking personal realization; we live in a very global society. But we must ensure that people in all regions of the country have an equal starting point. That will itself become an attractive force for many to return, and for others not to leave (…).”
Many Bulgarians abroad are searching for documents and artifacts related to Bulgarian history and culture around the world. How can our state support them in these efforts? Is there a way to assist them with physical spaces where these valuables can be preserved?
“My team and I, already as vice president, have promoted to other institutions the idea that Bulgaria should have its own Cultural Institute, like every EU country. Part of the activity, status, and work of such an institute would be precisely the tracing of various histories related to Bulgaria – archives, family memory, cultural assets, everything that can be collected and that is part of our country’s vast cultural treasury. Unfortunately, so far we have not been heard.
Moreover, although it was not formally our responsibility, the presidential institution developed a concept. We held meetings with representatives of such cultural institutes in Sofia – the Cervantes Institute, the Goethe Institute, the French Cultural Institute, the Hungarian, Polish, Czech institutes… We gathered this information and proposed a structure that would work best for a Bulgarian institute, with the clear understanding that there must be a special law so that no government could easily abolish it.
This institute would work closely with Bulgarian communities abroad. My idea is not megalomaniacal – we would establish such institutes where we have the capacity, and there Bulgarian language, literature, and history would be taught; there would be opportunities to promote our contemporary literature, because our authors are little known abroad. There we would speak about our cultural and historical heritage. I may be placing heavy expectations on the next government, but I believe there will be competent people who understand how important this diplomacy is, because cultural diplomacy opens the widest doors. Bulgaria is one of the most ancient countries, with a vast and rich history that the world should know. This is our best calling card. (…) In this way, the image of our country will be different, not that cliché I detest – of the poorest country. We can be different, and culture is what can literally take us by the hand and lead us into another sphere among developed nations. This is my great pain and my greatest cause (…).”
For 90 years, Radio Bulgaria has been telling the world how fascinating and rich in history and culture Bulgaria is – an educational mission that has won countless friends for our country from India and China to Argentina, America, and Europe. Today, when the world is torn by hatred and confrontation, the words of one of the first voices of the foreign-language broadcasts – the intellectual Petar Uvaliev – resonate strongly: “Radio leaped over the trenches of hatred!” The world today needs more humanity, which is often associated with women. As the first female President of Bulgaria, what message would you send to the world through Radio Bulgaria?
“Colleagues, allow me to congratulate you, because you are the best ambassador of Bulgaria abroad. And if someone says that today the Bulgarian National Radio should broadcast only written texts online, that would be a crime in my view. People need, even in this incredible technological age, the living voice, the human touch, the emotion. (…) I do not know whether you realize what you hold in your hands – you hold not only Bulgaria’s image abroad, you hold Bulgaria’s soul, which you transmit to the world – the heart and soul of every Bulgarian.
What is my message today, on March 3? Yes, I am the first woman president. It is not easy, but we women manage. Let it not sound grandiose, but when people see that you are capable, that you want to, that you are strong enough and courageous enough, even the male half begins to support you, willingly or not.
But my message in this very troublesome and dangerous world is: People, think about the children we bring into this world! They need love, our courage, our protection, and their future!”