Kristian Vigenin: European cohesion money must not go to weapons

„We must not agree to the money earmarked for cohesion policy going to weapons. Security has various aspects, and the divisions in society represent no less a risk than the external threat. Extremist forces feed on these divisions, and we must not end up creating powerful armies and finally handing them to far-right extremists.“ This was stated by the head of the Delegation of the Bulgarian Socialists in the EP Kristian Vigenin during a meeting of the Group of the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament. He added that priority could nevertheless be given to projects that would have both civilian and military significance, roads, railway lines and digital infrastructure.

Vigenin stressed that the European Commission’s proposal is more of a political statement than a thorough strategy. „First the threats are assessed, then the means of overcoming them are outlined, and finally the financing is sought, whereas here we are putting the discussion about the money first. The current situation should encourage the EU not to look for loans again but to develop the system of own resources, for example taxes on the super-rich, taxes on financial transactions“, the MEP pointed out.

„The European defence industry cannot absorb these funds, and we must guarantee that European money goes to European companies or companies that produce in the European Union, because that way they create jobs and added value here. They need time to adapt and build capacity. If we continue to buy foreign military output, we will not achieve the necessary independence“, the Bulgarian MEP said. He again came out against the idea that decisions in the field of defence should be taken not unanimously but by qualified majority. „Defence is at the core of national sovereignty, and in this area decisions cannot be imposed on a state that does not agree with them. If that happens, the division in the EU will grow, not diminish.“

Vigenin insisted that the EU should be honest with Ukraine and acknowledge that it is not able to replace the USA either in financial or in military aid. „The EU must take part in the peace negotiations, but for that it must have a strategy on what it wants to achieve, as well as a clear idea of who would take part in such negotiations on behalf of the EU“, Kristian Vigenin stressed, calling for a thorough conversation about the security architecture in Europe and the world. „This year we mark 50 years since the adoption of the Helsinki Final Act. In a far stronger confrontation between East and West, the leaders of that time found a way to reduce the tension and lay the foundations of peace, security and cooperation in Europe. There is no reason why we cannot do it now as well. For that purpose, however, we must start talking about peace at least as much as about armament“, the Bulgarian MEP concluded.