“I think that our entry into the Schengen depends on us, the Bulgarians. The institutions, media, political powers and the people of culture, arts and sports must speak loudly to Europe, that the rules are the same and that we have done our job, because we have met clearly all written requirements for entry into the Schengen.” stated the President of PES Sergei Stanishev in “The Week” talk show on radio Darik, regarding the undertaken by him National initiative “Bulgaria in Schengen”. He added that, this raises the question whether we are treated as equal member of the EU, “which is a union of rules”. „The initiative aims to lay a nationwide effort. We have achieve great goals, only when there was a clear public position, made known through the Bulgarian media towards our partners outside” Stanishev pointed out. He gave an example with the Bulgarian medics in Libya, when the society united behind the cause for their release: “This issue became a case between Europe and Libya, and this allowed them to come back home safe and sound”.

The President of PES expressed his gratitude to the politicians from the left and right spectrum, to the media, arts, science, culture and sport, who showed their support for the campaign “Bulgaria in Schengen”. He thanked the Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov as well, who supported the campaign and shared the video clip of the initiative which already has over 30 000 views.

According to Stanishev, however, the media are the ones who will familiarize the citizens in other countries with this initiative. „The campaign does not have any significant financial resources, but if there is desire and will it will reach the people in other countries. It will be in a way, a pressure on their institutions. I have noticed that there is one-sided picture for Bulgaria, and I have felt it as Prime Minister when we sought to become member state of the EU. I was recently in Spain where we had a meeting of the Party Leaders of the PES, and the Spanish Prime Socialist Pedro Sanchez shared the impressions of his brother, who had visited Bulgaria and stayed fascinated by the culture, the people and the historical legacy. We should unveil this side of Bulgaria.” said Sergei Stanishev. He thanked Dony, Ivan Lechev and Kiril Marichkov, who spontaneously stood behind the idea in order to make it popular.