Andrey Novakov in front of FACTS: Knowing what Denkov talked them into, thinking about Schengen on land borders on impud

Truck to cross the border in 60 seconds – myth or reality… Schengen and the Eurozone – how close or far we are… Andrey Novakov, MEP from GERB/ENP, spoke to FAKTI.

- Mr. Novakov, the European Parliament approved the idea of a truck being processed in an average of 60 seconds at the internal borders of the EU. Is this a dream or reality?
- Yesterday it was a dream, today it is reality. I will never forget how this idea came to me about 2 years ago. Rousse, a hot day in August 2022, kilometers of trucks and drivers waiting for days in cabs in the heat, without water, without a toilet or at least a place to wash. Chaos with counters of several institutions in one place, zero coordination. This just couldn't go on like this anymore.
I know for many people the idea of a 60-second check is incredulous and sounds like the tagline of a fantasy movie, but I guarantee you that it is completely possible. If a train composition with several dozen cars can pass in 25 minutes, why can't a truck pass in one?

- What really happens when a truck reaches the border. What's next?
- It follows that all kinds of checks and controls are gathered in one place, which for some reason must be carried out at one point and at one moment of the journey. I maintain that everything is a matter of organization and a little effort on the part of the state. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about inspections and controls and safety and making sure all the rules are followed. But! I believe and insist that checks can be distributed evenly and that the state has mechanisms to relieve drivers at least in terms of time spent at the border crossing.

- And usually the truck hangs for 2 or 3 days. Drivers are used to…
- What do you mean used to... I would say that they seem to have come to terms with it, but this does not mean that it should become the norm. Dozens of drivers give up this profession every day, and the losses for the companies are calculated at 200 euros per truck per day. With hundreds of trucks waiting for days, the calculation of how all this affects the economy is simple. Moreover, we are not only talking about a Bulgarian problem here. The topic affects several countries in the European Union, and queues are formed not only at our borders.

- You recently traveled west of Bulgaria with a tyre. You have encountered a bribe request. How it works. Direct or…
- Every driver knows how it goes and it is hardly the most reasonable thing to explain in the media what techniques are used. The fact is that there are attempts to do this, and I am far from thinking that they are an exception.

- What are the new rules for migrants in the EU. The inspection will now be at the border itself. What will it include?
- The new pact is something positive for Bulgaria because it gives us more flexibility and allows us to deal with illegal migration with more tools. Screening with fingerprinting and biometrics is being introduced, and this will give traceability so that someone who is refused asylum cannot seek it elsewhere in Europe.

- The idea is that illegal migrants cannot enter the EU if they do not prove that they are fleeing war… What's next?
- Economic migrants will remain in centers on the outer borders of Europe, as is happening now. Agreements with countries from which migrants enter such as Tunisia, Turkey, Egypt are also planned. Thus, their return will be much faster, there will be a faster procedure for granting or refusing asylum.

- How Brussels views what is happening with the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Do they even understand what it is about in our country?
- How can we expect someone from the outside to understand what we are talking about in our country, as we obviously cannot give an answer to this question either. Or at least not entirely. What is happening in our country tarnishes our image and literally puts an end to years of purposeful work to achieve trust in the services and in our political class. The people who arrested the acting leader of the largest political party, the bearers of “change” in an embrace with the criminal world. For some, my words may be strong, but for me they are accurate - this is not just a shame, but a pogrom for everything achieved so far.

- Schengen by land… Reality or through crooked pasta, as we like to say in Bulgaria?
- With everything that is happening at the moment and after I know what Academician Denkov talked to them in his capacity as Prime Minister, to think about Schengen on land at this moment borders on impudence and hypocrisy. If until that day Austria's position on Schengen was political theater for home use, today it is substantiated with photographic material, and media publications are on the desks of Austrian ministers and feed their election campaign. Our entry into Schengen by land will be delayed. You can't want Europe to believe you when the fight against crime and corruption is reduced to a picture of a poodle with a box full of banknotes. Personally, as a politician and MEP, I would be ashamed to seek support at this very moment. Also, from the carriers' point of view, Schengen and the Eurozone are jumped vessels with a 1+1=3 effect. There is also another bad news - entry into the Eurozone is at risk of being delayed not only because of the pro-inflationary policy of the last finance minister, but also because of his lack of confidence. Just a few days ago, the National Assembly imposed a moratorium on spending with public funds - a very clear signal to Brussels, and that while the report is being written in various offices of the EC, which should assess whether we are ready or not. This is how far we've come. “The Change” of these people is pulling us back.