Slavi Trifonov supports the ‘Bulgaria in Schengen. It’s time!’ campaign

 

Joining the Schengen area will make our EU membership complete. It has been a long time since Bulgaria fulfilled the criteria and it is absolutely unfair that we are still kept out of the visa-free area. This is what PES President Sergei Stanishev said last night when he made a guest appearance in a prominent evening entertainment programme on Bulgarian TV channel bTV.

 

His host, Slavi Trifonov, agreed that the cause is very important for Bulgaria and that he and his team support the campaign launched by Stanishev. Stanishev in turn presented him with a special badge with the logo of the campaign.

 

Recent opinion polls show that more than 65% of Bulgarian people think that Europe applies double standards towards our country. This is already a European problem, Stanishev said. In his view, those who are respected in Europe are those who stand up for their interests. Bulgarian politicians must unite behind the Schengen cause and leave aside their political differences. Our voice in Europe is stronger when we speak together, Stanishev explained. However, he pointed out that the efforts of politicians and institutions would not be enough: in order to achieve this goal, we also need the energy and efforts of the people, he said.

 

Schengen will make the life of every Bulgarian citizen easier. Hundreds of thousands of our countrymen travelling to EU countries have to go through passport control and additional security checks. They feel the double standards. Schengen means more security for our country, more trust by the investors, more opportunities for tourism as in many Asian countries there are package holiday offers for several Schengen countries which makes the travel of tourists between Schengen countries easier, Stanishev explained.

 

Sergei Stanishev also thanked Prime Minister Boyko Borissov as well as all political and public figures who have joined and supported the campaign so far.