PanEuropa Bulgaria Chair Gergana Passy said that the start of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union coincides with Bulgaria’s formal integration into the EU and the country’s adoption of the single European currency. Speaking at a discussion on the priorities of the Cyprus Presidency here on Thursday, Passy quoted a Eurobarometer survey, according to which less than 50% of Bulgarians are in favour of the euro adoption.
She added: “It is evident that the communication campaign was delayed and inadequate. It is also evident that the era of broad consensus appears to have come to an end. From now on, reaching consensus, perhaps not only in Bulgaria, should be the result of a much more focused effort and, above all, dialogue, because if we had to choose one word to describe what democracy is, it would be dialogue.”
The discussion is organized by PanEuropa Bulgaria in partnership with the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Bulgaria, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the Diplomatic Institute at the Diplomatic Institute of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Association of the Officers in the Reserve Atlantic.
On January 1, Cyprus took over the six-month presidency of the Council of the EU for the second time with the intention of promoting changes aimed at European independence under the motto ‘An Autonomous Union – Open to the World’. The presidency kicked off against a backdrop of acute geopolitical turmoil and unpredictability. It is recognized that Europe must cooperate with its partners where possible, while acting independently where necessary. According to Cyprus, the EU must work towards autonomy in defence, energy, and trade, competitiveness, the transition to a clean economy, digitization, and social cohesion.
/MR/