“The real challenge facing Europe is not the pace of integration, but the unity of the legal order.” This was stated by Bulgarian MEP Kristian Vigenin of the Progressive Alliance Group in the European Parliament during a public discussion he organized titled: “A Two-Speed European Union? The Challenges Facing Bulgaria.” The event was organized at the initiative of the ABV Party – Alternative for Bulgarian Revival, part of the “BSP – UNITED LEFT” coalition, with the support of the Center for European and International Studies (CEIS) Foundation.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

In his remarks, the MEP emphasized that the European Union has never been merely a union of interests, but a union founded on the rule of law. “Europe’s strength stems from the fact that small and large countries sit at the same table under the same rules.” “It is not military might, nor the size of the economy, but the rule of law that guarantees equality,” Vigenin emphasized.

In his view, the danger facing Europe does not lie in the varying pace of integration, but in the risk of fragmentation. “If we start building Europe through constant exceptions, temporary coalitions, and differing standards, we risk gradually undermining precisely what makes the Union unique—predictability, legal certainty, and mutual trust.” “Europe can and must be flexible, but it cannot be fragmented,” he said.

Vigenin also emphasized the social dimension of the European project. “Europe has survived the decades and the series of crises because its citizens know that they belong to something more than just a market.” “For millions of Europeans, Europe means the protection of labor, social rights, and human dignity,” the MEP emphasized. He warned that the risk today lies not so much in institutional division as in social fragmentation within the Union itself. “Europe cannot be strong on the outside while it is divided on the inside.” Europe’s true strength lies in its ability to bridge differences, not to institutionalize them. “Social cohesion is not an expense—it is a strategic investment in the stability of the continent.”

With regard to competitiveness, Vigenin noted that it is gradually becoming the EU’s new strategic priority. “The European response cannot be a Europe that develops only for some of its member states.” “The Union’s true competitiveness stems from its scale, from the functioning single market, from interconnected economies, and from investments that reach all regions,” he noted. “In a world of continental economies, no single European country can remain a global player indefinitely.” “Europe’s strength lies precisely in our ability to act together,” added Vigenin.

From a geopolitical perspective, the MEP emphasized that the economy, security, and foreign policy are now inextricably linked. “The European Union is increasingly being called upon to act as a geopolitical force.” But Europe can only be such a factor if it maintains its internal cohesion. Unity is not Europe’s weakness, but its strategic asset. “The more uncertain the world becomes, the more important European unity becomes,” he said.

In conclusion, the MEP noted that Europe is once again at a crossroads. “The choice is not between a slow Europe and a fast Europe; the choice is between a Europe that is fragmenting under the pressure of global change and a Europe that turns its unity into a strategic advantage.” “If competitiveness is the new direction today, then unity must remain its compass,” Vigenin said.

He called on the different generations and political forces in Bulgaria to work together to develop a clear national position on the future of the European Union. “The time has come for us to work together to develop a national position on these important issues—where the European Union is headed and what it should become,” concluded Kristian Vigenin.

During the discussion, participants raised questions about foreign policy, Bulgaria’s role in decision-making processes, and the need for our country to take a clear and active stance on specific initiatives rather than merely acting as an observer. Among them were BSP Chairman Krum Zarkov; Plamena Zayachka of ABV; ABV Chairman Rumen Petkov; MEP Tsvetelina Penkova; the chairman of the BSP Youth Union and MP Gabriel Valkov; Assoc. Prof. Natalia Kiselova, Chair of the “BSP-UNITED LEFT” parliamentary group; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hristo Hristov, Head of the Department of International Law and International Relations at Sofia University “St. “Kliment Ohridski”; Assoc. Prof. Svetla Boneva, Ph.D., Head of the Faculty of International Economics and Politics at the University of National and World Economy (UNWE); Georgi Pirinski, Chairman of the “Solidarity Society” Foundation; Lyubomir Kyuchukov, Director of the Institute for Economics and International Relations (IEIR) Foundation; Milena Angelova, Secretary General of the Association of Industrial Capital in Bulgaria (AICB) and member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC); Prof. Alexander Tomov – Chair of the Bulgarian Social Democracy-Euroleft Party, part of the BSP–United Left coalition; politician and expert Zinaida Zlatanova; Rector of the Higher School of Telecommunications and Post, Prof. Miglena Temelkova; former Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Policy Ivan Krastev; sociologist Parvan Simeonov; politician and diplomat Dr. Meglena Plugchieva.