Kristian Vigenin: Politics is made with responsibility and decisions, not with empty words

Social protection, affordable healthcare, the responsible development of artificial intelligence and the need for a meaningful public conversation were the focus of the meeting between Bulgarian MEP Kristian Vigenin from the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament and Bulgarian journalists. The conversation was held under the motto “A word said is a stone thrown”.

Vigenin underlined that words in politics have to have value and cannot be replaced by slogans: “A lot of empty words and slogans, and loudly spoken ones at that, were heard in the Bulgarian parliament this year. That is not how politics is made.”

Priorities for the coming year

The MEP said that in the coming year he will continue working on the topics that have been his priority in the European Parliament: healthcare, social security, climate and the regulation of artificial intelligence, so that the new technologies serve people and not the other way round.

“Guaranteeing enough medical staff, doctors and nurses, access to medicines, new therapies and technologies in healthcare, these are questions that affect people directly,” Vigenin stressed.

On artificial intelligence he emphasised the need for a balance between development and responsibility: “The European Union has to catch up with competitors such as the USA and China, but not through deregulation. We need development with clear rules, so that artificial intelligence serves citizens rather than citizens serving it.”

Last year’s wishes and the Myara survey

Kristian Vigenin opened the box of wishes written by the journalists during last year’s meeting and sealed with the idea of being “checked” a year later. He read out some of them, for a regular government, stability, fewer conflicts, more calm, better incomes and normality in public life, noting which of those expectations have come true and which remain an open task for this year as well.

During the meeting the MEP also referred to a national sociological survey by the Myara agency, carried out at the end of 2025 on his initiative, which shows very high public support for the policies he works on. “I was surprised myself by the results, nearly 80% of Bulgarians support active measures against the climate crisis. This shows that society is much more sensitive on these topics than is often claimed,” Vigenin pointed out. The survey records clear approval for social policies, high sensitivity to healthcare and a marked deficit of information about the EU, an argument for the need for a clearer and more direct public conversation.

Two new initiatives

Kristian Vigenin also announced two initiatives for the coming year. The first is launching a practical programme for young people, aimed not at party leadership, but at understanding how the state actually works and how sustainable policies are made. “The biggest problem is when the desire for change is not backed by knowledge. That is when the biggest disappointments come,” he said, stressing that the programme will be open to young people with a commitment to society, regardless of their political affiliation.

The second initiative is preparing a strategic report on Bulgaria’s development after its full integration into the EU. “We need an honest analysis, where we are, what our goals are and how Bulgaria can be more competitive and people can live better,” Vigenin said, specifying that experts from business, science and the civic sector will be involved in the process.

In the informal part of the meeting the MEP also made a political forecast: “I believe the next president of Bulgaria will be a woman. I could even give a name, but for now I will leave it at that.” Continuing his forecast, he also outlined a broader picture of political developments in 2026, in his view there will be new players with a strong presence. “This year will put an end to this political crisis we have been in since 2021,” Vigenin believes. He specified that these words are not a wish, but a personal analysis that he deliberately leaves “open to checking”, in the spirit of the meeting’s motto.

All the participants in the conversation wrote one word as a wish for the coming year and drew a lucky stone with a symbolic meaning. Kristian Vigenin drew lapis lazuli, the stone of knowledge and perspective, with the message “the courage to look for the meaning behind the facts”, a symbolic summary of the conversation.