Former PM of Luxemburg and President of the Eurogroup Jean-Claude Juncker is to head the next European Commission, MEPs decided on Tuesday. The absolute majority for the EPP applicant was provided with the support of most MEPs from the groups of the socialists and liberals, along with some of the greens. This nomination is good for Bulgaria, as Mr. Juncker’s attitude towards this country is very positive. “The EU would not be complete without Bulgaria. I have always supported its membership. The signing of your accession treaty in Luxemburg while I was a premier and the country was the rotational president – that was not a coincidence. Bulgaria is very close to me, I feel at home there, since it is a true European country,” said Jean-Claude Juncker in an interview for the BNR during his election campaign.

The Treaty of Accession was signed by the EU Member States and Bulgaria and Romania in Luxembourg on 25 April 2005, not without the partnership of Mr. Juncker, former Bulgarian European Commissioner Meglena Kuneva recalls for RB, as she was a minister on European issues back then:

“We had to choose between signing on April 25, when the Foreign Affairs Council took place and waiting till the European Council, where premiers gather,” Meglena Kuneva goes on to say. “I admit I was tempted by the greater festivity in the second case. Together with then-PM Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha we decided not to postpone. It turned out to be an essential strategic decision. The next European Council took place after France and Holland had said “no” to the European Constitution. If we had waited, things could have been different and not so good to us. One of the two states could have complied with its citizens’ opinion and the signing might have been harder.”

How could that good attitude of Mr. Juncker help our country?

“If you ask me whether we are privileged somehow this way, meaning less requirements, it would be a ridiculous thing to say,” Meglena Kuneva answers. “We can rely on a person, who sees solidarity as a value and that one should help countries, which are still catching up, as far as their development is concerned. He is a person, who is ready to defend this idea, not always so popular, before his colleagues.”

“It is enough already with that old and new member-states thing, in my opinion. There are EU member-states. I think this answer is eloquent enough on Mr. Juncker’s attitude towards Bulgaria over the next 5 years,” said in an interview for RB Filiz Husmenova a Bulgarian MEP from ALDE. “I hope that he will remain a friend of Bulgaria and also that we, the Bulgarian MEPs in Strasburg and Brussels will attract more followers and friends on our side.”

As far as the firm stance of Mr. Juncker on the continuation of the monitoring mechanism for Bulgaria is concerned, EPP’s MEP Tomislav Donchev said for the BNR:

“Regarding the commentary on the monitoring mechanism, one shouldn’t be puzzled or surprised,” he said. “I want its dropping at some point, but because Bulgaria has met all the criteria and not due to the positive attitude of the EC president. Unfortunately, I must say that over the past year and a half Bulgaria’s image and real steps have pushed the state away from that perspective – for the dropping of the monitoring mechanism.”

“We know each other well - me and Mr. Juncker, back from the times when we were both premiers,” said for the BNR PES leader Sergey Stanishev, an MEP from the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats. “It was the period before and after the 2007 EU accession of Bulgaria. We’ve had many talks and very sincere relations. I see Jean-Claude Juncker as a true European, a person, who sees the European idea not only as empty words and political declarations. He is an independent person, who knows how to defend stances. I hope that the EC will get stronger during his presidency.”

English version: Zhivko Stanchev