French Ambassador Joël Meyer: "For Schengen, the glass is 2/3 full"

We meet with the ambassador of France in the sophisticated neo-baroque building of the French embassy on Oborishte street in the center of Sofia. The diplomatic career of Joël Meyer, who graduated in Greek literature at the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations in Paris - one of the few places in France where the Bulgarian language is also taught, took him to Greece and Cyprus, subsequently - in Mauritania and Mali. He holds the position of ambassador to Bulgaria from the end of 2022, but has known the country since its accession to the EU. 15 years later, he himself wished to be appointed to Sofia to see how the country had changed and developed during that time. He shared that what impressed him in Bulgaria was its "authenticité" which does not lend itself to uniformity.‎

Seen from the outside, the current political situation in Bulgaria could be defined as original, but it is far from unprecedented, as a similar rotational model already exists in Romania and Northern Ireland.‎

"I'm not the one who has to judge whether this is the best political configuration," notes Joël Meyer. "But on our part we see political dynamics and although there are some unknown factors and uncertainty for the future, there is currently some stability and it is good for Bulgaria. It is also good for Europe. Also, since the reforms are underway, and they directly affect the business environment, this is a good signal for investors, including the French investors, who want to come to Bulgaria."‎

More and more French and European companies are interested in Bulgaria, according to Joël Meyer, not only as an export market, but also with the aim of concluding long-term industrial partnerships.‎‎

"Bulgaria has many merits," the French ambassador believes. "There are qualified personnel, technicians, engineers, and often wonderful francophones. At the end of last year, we welcomed more than 100 entrepreneurs from Brittany, an extremely dynamic French region, who came to explore investment opportunities. There are great examples of successful cooperation and cross-investment from the Bulgarian and French sides. I will point out just one - the wings and cockpits of some Airbus planes are manufactured and installed in Bulgaria thanks to the joint work of French and Bulgarian engineers. Bulgaria has both geographical and political advantages, it is a member of the European Union, but it is also located at the crossroads between Northern and Southern Europe and also towards Turkey and beyond - the Middle East."

What is Joël Meyer's attitude to the Bulgarian priorities at the moment - the accession to Schengen and the Eurozone, spaces of free exchange and free movement of people? ‎

"I think that we should look at things positively regarding Schengen. The glass is 2/3 full and I am convinced that the last third will be filled very soon. The negotiations in Brussels continue. Still, 26 countries and the European Commission support Bulgaria's full accession to Schengen. This will be good for us, because Europe will become a completely safe zone and vice versa: much more funds will be invested by the EU in Bulgaria to fully fulfill its tasks and responsibilities as the external border of the union."‎

As for the Eurozone, the criteria are strict, such as those for inflation. It is still high in Bulgaria for the time being, but "measures have been taken and they are being implemented," argues Joël Meyer. "We hope that Bulgaria will join the Eurozone very soon," he says. According to the French ambassador, the adoption of the euro will also have a favorable effect on investments, industrial and commercial cooperation, if only because of the elimination of not at all insignificant commissions for bank transactions. ‎

The residence of the French ambassador in Sofia

Bulgarian politics and priorities naturally unfold in the larger framework of dynamics in the EU, for which 2024 with the upcoming European Parliament elections is critical. What are Joël Meyer's predictions?

"I'm talking about the country I know best - France, and I can't help pointing out the danger of the growing influence of the so-called populist parties. However, we believe that Europe is not the problem, but the solution." ‎

Otherwise, both France and Bulgaria are currently going through an agricultural crisis. And here Europe should be the solution, the ambassador believes. It is necessary to change the Common Agricultural Policy without calling into question what has already been achieved, including in relation to the fight against climate change. There also needs to be a level playing field between European agricultural producers and farmers from third countries who can import into Europe. In other words:‎

"Governments must be active "on the field" and explain how Europe offers solutions. At the same time, it is imperative to convince Europe to be closer to European citizens and respond to their problems, so that they do not turn away to the populist parties that do not offer solutions, but on the contrary - only exacerbate crises and divide people"", concludes the French Ambassador Bulgaria, HE Joël Meyer.‎

You can listen to the full interview with French ambassador Joël Meyer in French at the webpage of the French section of Radio Bulgaria HERE.

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Photos: Desislava Nikolova, Todor Bozhinov

English publication by Rositsa Petkova