Speeches

Dear Commissioner, Madam President, colleagues, the 28th regime is a chance for the European Union to create a single, modern and ambitious legal framework for innovative and start-up companies that not only facilitates but also stimulates innovation, investment and the competitiveness of the European economy. The 28th regime must be ambitious in content, but accessible enough to provide real opportunities for companies across the Union to grow, develop and create new jobs here in Europe, in every single Member State. The future legislative framework is key to ensuring the growth of European innovative companies. It should be inclusive, not further divisive. The European Union has a chance to show that it supports start-ups and innovation with clear and fair rules, and we must take this chance. I thank my colleague René Repasi for the good work and the foundation he has put in this report, and it is now a matter of effort so that we can make these opportunities a reality.

Madam President, Commissioner, democracy does not apply to the political situation, it is a constant commitment and Bulgaria proves it every day. After years of political instability and a series of elections, our country has built a regular government, restored dialogue between institutions and restored predictability. This is democracy in action, not in declarations. Today, Bulgaria has taken a clear course towards stability, economic growth and euro area membership. The Council of Europe concluded the post-monitoring dialogue with Bulgaria after 26 years of monitoring. This is not a gift, but a sign that our country is realizing key commitments. And in this context, perhaps surprisingly, it is precisely now that we are discussing a concern for the supremacy of law. When a country moves forward, the loudest are those who are used to seeing it stagnant. But the noise doesn't change the facts. Bulgaria is stable, democratic and committed to the rule of law. The true defense of democracy is not to create doubt, but to defend what has been achieved. Our goal must be to support the progress made so that it can continue, because a stable Bulgaria means a stronger European Union.

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, Energy connectivity in the European Union is key to reducing electricity costs. We need to invest in electricity grids immediately. Countries such as Bulgaria have the opportunity to consolidate their place as energy leaders in the Union because we are at the heart of the European connectivity corridors along the South-North and East-West axes. Building a secure and fair energy system requires a combined approach. Firstly, we need to invest in energy infrastructure and secondly, we need to build a balanced energy mix based on basic energy capacities such as nuclear energy. Only in this way will we ensure a long-term reduction in the bills of our households, ensure competitiveness for our industries and reduce the risk of an accident and a power outage. Today, we still see huge differences within our Union. Countries in Southeast Europe pay ten times higher electricity bills than countries in Northern Europe. This has to stop.

Mr President, the Eurozone is not an end in itself, it is not just a legal commitment, it is not an ideology, but an economically and financially justified step for Bulgarian citizens and for Bulgaria. Bulgaria is on the verge of this economic opportunity. In all countries, citizens’ incomes and purchasing power have increased since the adoption of the euro. Fears of inflation are unfounded. High inflation in the Union is the result of external factors – a global pandemic, a war and an energy crisis. They have all happened to Europe in the last few years. Bulgaria will join the euro area with a fixed exchange rate and the funds of Bulgarian citizens are protected. The foreign exchange reserves of the Bulgarian National Bank will not be transferred to the ECB. Only one billion of the available 33 billion foreign reserves will become part of the capital of the European Central Bank, the rest will continue to be managed by our central bank. We do not lose sovereignty, we gain influence, stability and opportunity. It is time for Bulgaria to take its rightful place in the heart of Europe.

Mr President, dear colleagues, recent events have proven once again that technology is power. The digital infrastructure, such as submarine cables, 5G networks, satellites and AI, are critical for our economy, security, health care and daily lives. And yet, almost 50 % of 5G communications rely on foreign communication infrastructure. Dependency on non-EU providers limits our autonomy and exposes us to risks that are beyond our control. We must increase the investment in EU technology. Prioritising secure and EU home-grown technology will safeguard us, strengthen our cybersecurity, drive innovation and guarantee long-term competitiveness. The time to act is now. True sovereignty can only be achieved by investing and ensuring that the EU tech sector can survive and remain competitive in this global digital race.

Madam President, Commissioner Simson, over the past two years, we have taken very concrete steps to ensure the security of our energy supply. Yes, we had no electricity regime in the European Union, but let us be clear that we were lucky with the milder two winters. This year, things don't look that way. It is unacceptable to start the third year without providing cheap energy to our households and industry. The question before us is not just to provide the necessary quantities of natural gas or electricity, but at what price? The German economy, unfortunately, is slowly but surely showing us what can happen if we continue in this spirit. The economic turmoil in Germany is affecting the whole of Europe and is very strongly felt in Eastern European countries. The new European Commission should propose energy policies for Europe to help Member States ensure low and predictable electricity prices for households and industry. If this does not happen, we risk more European citizens falling into energy poverty, so that the desired competitiveness remains a good wish.

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, as part of the delegation at COP29 in Baku last week, I can assure you that the participation of the European Parliament there is key and crucial. Apart from the call for greater financing for the developing countries, which was one of the requests from the Global South, there was an additional one: a clear and foreseeable regulatory framework. The agreed commitment for USD 300 billion of investment is a small step. However, in the upcoming years, we will not only be facing the lack of financing; we will also need clear and predictable investments from the developing countries that are already experiencing impressive economic growth. What I saw on the ground during our meetings with the various national delegations is the same desire for predictability that I see here in Europe, in the Just Transition regions. People want to be certain that the rules of the game will not change midway. If Europe wants to remain at the forefront of climate diplomacy, we must first make sure that we solve our problems domestically and lead by example.

Dear Mr President, dear Commissioner, national nuclear regulators are the most important element for the safety of our nuclear power plants. There are 100 operating reactors in 12 countries in Europe, and it is the quality of our control bodies that ensures the security of the system. It is unacceptable in Bulgaria for highly qualified experts who have dedicated decades to training and professional qualification to receive a starting salary of 800 euros. Professionals working in a high-risk environment may not have life insurance in the event of an accident. In addition to adequate pay, they need compulsory insurance and additional health insurance. If timely and concrete measures are not taken, serious staffing problems will arise. This could threaten national security and the safety of the nuclear energy sector in Bulgaria. 800 euros. Does the energy security of Bulgaria, the region and the whole of Europe cost so little? We have a duty to protect the people who fight for our security.

Dear colleagues, Commissioner, one of the most significant events of the year is coming up, where we need to clearly express the European Union's priorities and defend global climate interests. But the decisions to be taken there must be the result of coordination between European, regional and national policies in the interests of all of us. In 2024 alone, more than $2 trillion will be invested globally in clean energy and sustainable infrastructure. The transition to clean energy and industry is at the heart of our competitiveness and security, but we should not limit ourselves to available technologies. On the contrary, we must use everything that is possible and familiar within the European Union. If we integrate advanced technologies, if we use basic energy capacities such as nuclear power, if we unleash the potential of geothermal energy, this is the only way to ensure stability of the energy system and low prices for industry and consumers. In order to achieve the climate neutrality goals, we need to secure the necessary investments and stimulate public-private partnerships.

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, rising house prices are putting millions of European Union citizens under enormous pressure. The young are the ones who suffer the most. Unaffordable prices for young people are unacceptable. For us socialists, housing policy is a key priority because we believe that home is a fundamental right, not a privilege. Today, however, too many young people and families remain far from this dream. This is a challenge and requires an answer. And Ursula von der Leyen's decision to merge this energy portfolio raises more questions than answers. Targeted European policies are needed to build affordable housing. The Bulgarian Socialist Party offers solutions that can also find a place at European level. One-off subsidies for young families to buy and build their first home, a special ten-year program to support citizens' investments in energy efficiency of housing, because only in this way can we reduce the household bills in a long-term way.

Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues, over the next five years, energy will become even more crucial for our future. Whether we succeed in reducing the bills of industry and households will depend on whether we regain the trust of European citizens. Mario Draghi's report on the competitiveness of the European economy highlights precisely this. High electricity prices are the main obstacle to the industrial upsurge of our continent. If the European Commission is really serious in its desire for reindustrialization, the main focus should be the reduction of electricity prices. At the forthcoming hearings of the commissioners, they have to answer precisely this question - how will we reduce the bills. Because this is the question that we were asked most often during the election campaign. We have to provide solutions. We need to invest in clean baseload energy capacities such as nuclear and we need to do everything in our power to ensure predictability for deposits in coal energy. We need a clear European energy development plan, a plan with targets and targeted funding to ensure Europe's future.

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, in order to have a strong and united Europe, we must show our citizens that the solutions we are proposing are real. There must be continuity so that we can implement the Union's long-term policies. In the next term, we need 7 concrete steps to protect the interests of European citizens, industry, energy. We have a duty to ensure security of energy supply and predictable prices. We need to develop nuclear energy in order to have clean baseload capacity. It is imperative that we extract and process more critical raw materials here in the EU because there are still deposits. Only in this way can we preserve the competitiveness of the European economy and guarantee high-quality jobs. We need to improve the connectivity of energy networks and we need to invest in research and development and develop our staffing potential. These should be the priorities of the next European Commission and this Parliament. I am proud that Bulgaria can play a key and decisive role in the realization of each of these seven priorities because of our expertise, experience in energy, available critical raw materials and industrial potential.

Mr President, dear Commissioner, dear Minister, we speak about autonomy, but let’s continue working on the strategic industrial autonomy and invest in developing the production capacity of the EU, because that’s the only way to achieve real independence and to speak about our competitiveness. We speak about security, but let’s focus on the security of jobs. Let’s focus on lowering the bills from our households, because that’s what the European citizens expect from us. They expect us to guarantee peace and to work for a ceasefire. They don’t expect us to send weapons. The only way for us to be a reliable partner and to have a successful enlargement of the EU is if we first guarantee the economic stability and the social equality within our union.

Mr President, in recent years, energy efficiency has become an element of the national security of each of the countries in Europe. With all the crises that surround us, our citizens expect us to find long-term solutions that allow them to pay lower energy and heating bills. The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, which we will vote on tomorrow, is in fact institutionalising plans to renovate the European Union's building stock. We must make it clear that this is not just a simple renovation, which has been very widespread and often practised in the Member States so far. I am glad that we managed to negotiate a text that actually encourages deep renovations, which could actually lead to a reduction in household bills by nearly 50%. We also reached an important compromise that repairs must be started by the most vulnerable families to help them get out of energy poverty. We also managed to include innovative financial mechanisms for easier access to financing on preferential terms. In this way, more households will be able to invest in improving their standard of living without further burdening the family budget. This directive is the first step towards eradicating energy poverty on the continent, and we must therefore support it. The bills will not decrease only if we use cheaper energy sources. We need to consume energy efficiently because this is the future. I thank Kiran Cuff and the whole team who have been working on this legislation for two years to ensure a future in Europe.

Madam President, for more than 12 years, Bulgaria and Romania have fulfilled all the technical criteria for our accession to the Schengen area, for full Schengen membership. This fact has been assessed and repeatedly confirmed here in the Chamber of the European Parliament. However, for political reasons, we have been held outside the Schengen area for over a decade and our fellow citizens are treated as second-hand Europeans. We perform our duties and our fellow citizens are deprived of their rights. That is why we should not deceive ourselves that the partial membership of Bulgaria and Romania in Schengen is a success. Mr. President, I have a few questions for you. What are the common actions you are discussing with Bulgaria in order to bring about the abolition of land transport checks as soon as possible? What do you think is the realistic deadline for our rightful Schengen membership? This discriminatory treatment of Bulgarian and Romanian citizens cannot continue.

Madam President, the European Parliament and the Commission have repeatedly supported the full Schengen membership of Bulgaria and Romania. The two countries fulfil all the technical criteria and yet for more than a decade we have been at the door of Schengen. As of March 31 this year, Bulgaria and Romania will become part of the Schengen area, but only by air and water. What does that mean? The answer is clear, the discriminatory treatment of citizens of both countries continues. We are equal in terms of requirements and obligations, but not in terms of results achieved. Such a double standard should not exist. The self-deception that partial Schengen membership is a success is unacceptable. Is there a concept of partial discrimination? No, no, no, no, no Our fellow citizens deserve full Schengen membership and everything else is unacceptable and we will continue to fight for it.

Madam President, geothermal energy is one of the most easily accessible indigenous sources of energy and has been known and used for thousands of years. Geothermal energy can meet over 75% of heating and cooling needs in Europe and over 15% of electricity consumption by 2040. It also has huge potential in heat generation and, if used correctly, can drastically improve the energy efficiency of our buildings. It can provide clean energy to power sustainable industries in various sectors of industry. The crisis caused by the surge in our energy bills shows us that we need to use every affordable and cost-effective source we have access to. We need to use this local resource and we expect the European Commission to present a strategy to develop it as soon as possible.

Mr President, this report responds to repeated calls from the start-up industry across the EU. It marks the beginning of the first European legislation for the start-up sector. Only in this way will we guarantee a future of innovation, a future for our young entrepreneurs. Start-ups are a catalyst for innovation, economic growth and employment in the Union. The start-up sector accounts for more than 3% of gross domestic product and is equivalent to 2 trillion euros. The sector employs over 2 million people in the Union. The numbers and statistics speak eloquently, but a clear definition of startups is still missing. This hampers the effectiveness of existing policies and hampers growth potential. The legislative report we are initiating ensures that the European start-up industry gets the support it needs. Support in areas such as the definition and ring-fencing of these enterprises, access to finance and new markets, retention of talent in Europe, competitiveness in global markets. Dear colleagues, today, on behalf of the start-up industry across the EU, I call on you to take clear and firm action. Support for this industry is not just an economic policy, it is a commitment to the future. A future where innovation thrives, jobs increase and Europe remains a leader in the global technology market. Let us work together to create an environment that ensures the growth and success of our start-ups. Let us allow them to reach their full potential. I thank all the rapporteurs for working well together and recognising the importance of this topic. Please support the report, let's give European startups a chance.

Mr President, dear Commissioner, colleagues, we have to address the problem that young people across Europe cannot afford to buy their own house. Following the 2008 financial crisis, S&D created the EU programmes to tackle unemployment, and over the past ten years we’ve seen the results of these actions all across the Member States of the EU. We need dedicated support measures that stimulate young couples to buy their first home. The percentage of young people in their 30s living with their parents is at an unprecedented level in Europe, and this is yet another divisive line in our continent, because most of those cases are in southern Europe. Today, more than ever, we need a Europe-wide housing affordability policy. We have to use the best practices and apply them all across the EU. Ensuring access to a decent home is a fundamental human right.

Mr President, Commissioner Breton, dear colleagues, all the technologies we will need to reach our climate ambitious goals will require huge quantities of raw materials. Electric cars, solar panels, batteries, ITC technologies and more have a greater need for the critical raw materials. We need strategic partnerships with third countries to be able to diversify and ensure a stable supply of those materials. We have to refine them in the EU and produce the final products here ourselves and this can only happen by cutting red tape, boosting innovation and developing alternative ways of production. Enhancing circularity and ambitious recycling targets are crucial to achieve net-zero production levels here in the EU. This legislation sets the right economic incentives for a more stable, secure, sustainable and socially responsible model for the deployment of mining and recycling projects. Of course, that includes also the faster permitting procedures. We cannot build a new green economy without ensuring the existence of the necessary resources.

Madam President, Europe is a proven leader in nuclear energy in the global market and we need to keep investing in skills and innovation if we want to keep our competitive advantage. The pledge made last week by 22 countries at Cop28 to triple nuclear energy capacity by 2050 is a clear indication of the direction that has been taken. Small modular reactors are a promising and upcoming technology that can complement the existing nuclear reactors. Their deployment, however, should not be at the expense of the high safety standards we have here in Europe. Our national safety nuclear agencies are working in strong collaboration to ensure that the new technologies are compliant with all the necessary safety standards. This report is definitely going in the right direction, but we shouldn’t expect SMRs to be the silver bullet that would resolve all of our problems. And most importantly, when we speak about deployment and usage of SMRs, we should have a strong stand on prioritising and developing European technologies. We have all the necessary prerequisites. We have the nuclear energy technology expertise. We have the European specialist. We have the highest safety standards in the world. Let’s use all that in developing and deploying European SMRs. At the same time, we have to keep investing in creating a balanced energy mix and, above all, a well-interconnected grid, if we want to achieve the climate and green targets that we have set ahead of us.

Madam President, Prime Minister, Commissioner, Bulgaria and Romania have been part of the European Union for 17 years. Those born in the year of our accession are almost adults and yet, due to political interests, we are not full members of the most important integration unions, namely Schengen and the euro area. It is unacceptable to treat an entire generation as second-hand Europeans. The European Parliament and the European Commission have repeatedly expressed their support for the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to Schengen. For more than 12 years we have met all the criteria. Two questions for you, Prime Minister. How is our partnership with Romania developing and what are the possibilities for a common response? And what diplomatic steps has the current government taken in recent months to convince the countries that are blocking us that Bulgarian citizens cannot be subjected to this long-term discrimination. As far as the euro area is concerned, we are late again. With Croatia we started this time at the same time, but because of the political instability in our country we have not advanced for three years now.

Mr President, we were lucky that last winter and this autumn were warmer than usual. We consumed less electricity and managed to cope with high prices. In the short term, we have found replacement supplies for some energy resources. The question we need to answer now is: what are we doing in the long term? Lack of interconnection of electricity and gas networks between countries is a key problem. At the moment, we do not have a truly functioning Energy Union, and this leads to further dividing lines in Europe. The countries of Southeastern and Eastern Europe are doomed to higher prices. Citizens of these lower-income countries are suffering more severely from this appreciation. Before thinking about how to cut off the branch on which we sit for the sake of situational geopolitical interests, we need to think about how to protect the most vulnerable European citizens. Beyond ideology is science and pragmatism. We need all available technologies to reduce our energy costs. This is the only way to be truly competitive in the global market. Affordable prices must be the main pillar around which we build our energy policy.

Madam President, Commissioner Hahn, colleagues, the creation of the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform is a much welcomed addition to the Net-Zero Industry Act, because we desperately need additional resources for the Member States. We very much welcome the position of Parliament to increase the available resources in STEP from EUR 10 billion to EUR 13 billion. However, we should keep insisting that STEP is just a predecessor to the long-awaited – and promised last year –Sovereignty Fund. The net-zero industry needs these resources to support the development of strategic projects in all Member States and to avoid the disproportionate concentrations of investments in only several big countries. These strategic projects must benefit from the sovereignty seal in order to reassure industry that they should invest in the greater production of net-zero technologies on the EU soil. That’s the only way we can reduce our dependencies, we can reduce the permitting deadlines and we can increase the competitiveness and job creation. We should support STEP and the Net-Zero Industry Act and vote in favour of a coherent EU signal towards industry.