There is no debate, “No to Europe” but we can not continue without a radical change. That said the Vice President Iliana Yotova during a lecture in front of the graduates of this year’s National Program “Governing skills” of the Bulgarian School of Politics. In front of the political and civic leaders trained in the program, the Vice President presented her opinion on the challenges facing the European project, its development and the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU. Iliana Yotova is convinced that if the right policies were put in place in the most tranquil years of the EU, Member States would successfully meet the consequences of the economic crisis and let citizens feel why they needed Europe.

“Maybe we do not realize that the most serious crisis in the EU is the deficit of ideas,” said the Vice President and stressed that the result is the strengthening of anti-European voices. She pointed out the particularly important role of national parliaments and local authorities in the negotiations for Multiannual Financial Framework. On the topic of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU, Iliana Yotova said that concrete results on the “Western Balkans” priority were needed. As extremely difficult and delicate, the Vice-President identified the role of Bulgaria as a mediator between the EU and Turkey. In the lively discussion then the 2018 graduates exchanged views on the future of Europe.

The Vice President Iliyana Yotova was the last speaker in the training of this year’s cohort of the Bulgarian School of Politics. From October to March the forty participants in the National Program “Governing skills” went through four courses each of which was four days. The successful graduates will receive diplomas in a few months and will become part of the network of the Bulgarian School of Politics.

And as usual at each final, there was a picture of the participants, a lot of emotions and new friendships that everybody kept in the heart while leaving Hotel Riu in Pravets.