We need a strong Bulgaria in a strong European Union to deal with the upcoming challenges, said the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metzola in an interview with BTA, her first for a Bulgarian media outlet in her second term. She noted that our country has taken important steps to address illegal migration and strengthen security. According to her, the concerns of the member states regarding the migration challenges have delayed the expansion of the Schengen area for too long.
“I would warn against drawing premature conclusions that could unfairly stigmatize certain parts of the population and blame migration as a whole”, Roberta Metzola commented on the attack in the German city of Magdeburg. According to her, the rapid and easy exchange of information and data between different authorities will remain crucial in the fight against crime and terrorism.
As the main challenges facing the EU in 2025, Roberta Mezzola outlined the war in Ukraine, the effectiveness of the European security and defense architecture, the cost of living crisis, the green and digital transitions and the enlargement of the Community. Regarding the EU's relations with the US after the election of Donald Trump as president, the EP President commented that a trade war with higher tariffs would not benefit anyone. “We need to be bolder in pursuing our European interests - just like the Americans do”, she added.
The following is the full text of the interview that Roberta Mezzola gave to BTA after the last plenary session of the European Parliament for 2024, which was held in Strasbourg from December 16 to 19.
Ms. Mezzola, as of today (January 1), Bulgaria and Romania are full members of Schengen. Why did it take so long for the two countries to enter the European area of free movement? And isn't Schengen under threat with a number of countries that have returned internal border controls?
The European Parliament has always been categorical that Bulgaria and Romania belong to the Schengen area. We supported full accession to Schengen from day one because we know that a stronger Schengen means a safer and more united Europe. I would like to congratulate the people of Bulgaria and Romania who have worked tirelessly and for so long to get here. Bulgaria has taken important steps to tackle irregular migration and strengthen security.
On the day the decision was taken /12 December/, I was surrounded by several happy Bulgarian colleagues who told me that it made them feel “100 percent European“. I was happy to share this pride with them.
As for the future of Schengen, I am confident that it will continue to provide borderless and passport-free travel. With the support of Frontex, we have strengthened our external borders and stepped up the fight against smuggling networks. Thanks to these efforts, we have witnessed a significant decrease in irregular crossings of migrants along the Western Balkans route.
We must continue to defend Schengen, one of the greatest jewels in Europe's crown. Free movement and the security of our borders are two sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other. That is why we must continue to address Member States' concerns about migration challenges - concerns that have delayed the enlargement of the Schengen area for too long. The adoption of the Pact on Migration and Asylum was a major step forward, helping us to protect our external borders. And the updated Schengen Borders Code provides a clear legal framework in case internal border controls need to be temporarily reintroduced - for example for security reasons. It now contains clearer deadlines and stricter monitoring and reporting obligations for Member States and the European Commission. It is now crucial that Member States put these measures into practice and work together. Protecting Schengen is a shared responsibility.
Bulgaria and Romania welcomed the new year with good news, but Europe saw off the old year with horror and sadness. The attack in Magdeburg has cast a shadow over the winter holidays, raised criticism of security lapses and brought the issue of migration back to the fore. How will the EU respond? And what is your comment on what happened?
This brutal act of hatred and cowardice took the lives of innocent people and deeply shook our entire continent and beyond. It has sparked a wave of solidarity and a message of unity: that if we stand together, our societies will always be stronger than hatred and that violence will never prevail over our values of peace and freedom.
The emergency services in Magdeburg did an exceptional job in caring for the many injured and I am also hopeful to see that the German authorities are seriously investigating the causes of this horrific attack. My thoughts are first and foremost with the victims, their families and friends.
I would caution against jumping to conclusions that could unfairly stigmatize certain sections of the population and blame migration in general. What is clear, however, is that terrorism of any kind can never be accepted and that the rapid and easy exchange of information and data between different authorities will remain crucial in the fight against crime and terrorism.
In Europe, we have made great progress in improving our security framework, including strengthening cross-border data sharing through instruments such as the Schengen Information System, the Passenger Name Record Directive, by strengthening Europol and improving the interoperability of law enforcement databases. We have many of the tools at our disposal, but now we need to make sure that the authorities use them.
It is also crucial that social media platforms step up and help combat such acts of brutality. After the attacker posted threats on “Ex”, the attack in Magdeburg has once again raised serious questions about the responsibility of social networks in reporting harmful content. This is not just a responsibility, it is the law. I expect the big social networks to play by the rules and implement the Digital Services Act swiftly and fully. The security of our citizens must always come first. The European Parliament will continue to press to ensure that those who break the rules and our laws are held accountable.
You were the first head of an EU institution to visit Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The war has been going on for almost three years now. Will there be peace in Ukraine in 2025?
Ending this illegal and brutal war remains an absolute priority for the European Parliament and the European Union. Europe has delivered results in terms of sanctions, significant financial assistance, and through our joint procurement and ammunition production tools. But sometimes we act too slowly, given that people are dying every day in the war in Ukraine.
I went to Kiev at the outbreak of the war in 2022, and the European Parliament immediately turned the political spotlight on the need to support Ukraine. We will continue to help Ukraine as much as necessary. We will continue to stand for a real peace in Ukraine, one based on justice, dignity and freedom. One based on Ukraine's terms.
I really hope that 2025 will be the year in which we move towards and even achieve peace for Ukraine. It is crucial that we remain united not only as Europe, but also as an international community of like-minded partners.
Wars, energy crisis, migration crisis, economic crisis. What will be the biggest challenges for you and for Europe in 2025? and how will you deal with them?
Europe has always grown through crises. And the last five years have been no different: who would have thought that we would be able to deliver COVID vaccines at European level, ensuring equal access for citizens in all Member States? Who would have thought that we would be able to agree on an €800 billion Recovery Package financed by the EU budget? Or 15 packages of sanctions against Russia, adopted unanimously? There is one lesson from this: to be credible and successful, we need unity and leadership.
I want the legacy of this 10th European Parliament to be one of realism, sustainability and relevance. To achieve this, we need to simplify things, reduce the regulatory burden and unnecessary bureaucracy that push people and jobs away from Europe. The successes, the moments that our citizens will remember, are those in which Europe has made their lives easier.
We have many challenges ahead of us. First of all, the war in Ukraine. This is not only a tragedy for many people who are suffering and losing their lives in Ukraine, but it is also an ongoing threat to the security of the entire EU, our democratic system, our stability, our values and the European way of life. That is why in the coming years, while we continue to support Ukraine, we will also need to improve the effectiveness of our European security and defence architecture, in cooperation with NATO.
Secondly, we will need to tackle the cost of living crisis by putting Europe back on a sustainable path of growth and quality job creation. This means boosting the EU's competitiveness by increasing productivity and accelerating investment. This also means advancing the green and digital transitions, but in a way that leaves no one behind and does not overburden our companies and industries. And the Digital Services Act must be implemented to protect citizens and elections against potential external interference. People, not bots, must decide the future of their country.
Enlargement will also be an important issue in the coming years. Not only for Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans, but for all of us. Because while it is true that enlargement remains our most powerful geopolitical tool and will make us stronger, it will also require us to change and reform. What works for an EU of 27 will not work for an EU of 32, 33 or 35 Member States. It is therefore a two-way street: the enlargement countries need to reform, but the EU also needs to reform, so we are ready to grow.
From energy and trade to finance and defence, how will the election of Donald Trump as US President affect relations with the EU?
The people of the United States have elected their new President, who will take office in a few days. We will work closely with the new administration to strengthen our transatlantic relationship in every area, be it security, trade, jobs or defence. The important thing is that we move from "America chooses, Europe responds" to "Europe acts".
Europe is ready and we have what it takes. What we sometimes lack is the political will to learn, adapt and reform. And we must be bolder in pursuing our European interests - just as the Americans do. After all, that is why people voted for us to stand up for their interests.
A trade war with higher tariffs benefits no one and ultimately consumers will have to pay the price. However, we must be prepared and ready for any eventuality.
I hope it does not come to that, because we can only tackle global challenges if we work together. I look forward to resuming the dialogue with my colleague in the US Congress once the new administration is in office. And I will always focus on what unites us, not on what might divide us.
You talk about unity and common ground, but you are the President of a more divided and fragmented European Parliament, with more populist radical right voices in it. How will you counter anti-European rhetoric?
It is true that majorities have changed since the last European elections in June 2024. These majorities change depending on the specific issues. But the European Parliament continues to build stable majorities through a consensus-based approach with constructive, pro-European groups at the centre. And I do not see that changing.
I have said before that I will work with anyone who is serious about taking Europe forward. Extremists are pushing false simple answers to complex problems. We must counter them by offering real solutions that meet people's needs and deliver concrete results. This is how we regain the trust of the voters. If we do not get it now, we will pay the price in 2029, at the end of this mandate.
Ms. Metsola, your second mandate as President of the EP is only just beginning. During the first one, you proved that you are a good friend of Bulgaria. When will you visit our country?
Bulgaria is an important partner and friend. I greatly appreciate the Bulgarian colleagues I work with in the European Parliament, including in my cabinet. I very much hope to visit your beautiful country soon. We need a strong Bulgaria in a strong European Union to deal with the upcoming challenges.
You are the youngest President of the European Parliament. The first woman elected to this position twice. Mother of four children. You like to watch “Tom and Jerry” with them, you like to cook. What don't we know about you beyond the cameras and the spotlight?
If I have time, I like to read and write. I have even tried writing plays, but I must admit that no one else has read them except me. I have never published them. The time spent with my family remains the most precious thing to me.
Mrs. Metsola, at the end of this interview, let's do an experiment. I will tell you one word and you will answer me with one word. Europe.
Hope.
Bulgaria.
Friendship.
2025.
Stability.