What Ivaylo spoke about.

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BG Written Statement

Droughts and extreme weather events as a threat to local communities and EU agriculture in times of climate change (debate)

The topic of droughts, floods and extreme weather events is extremely important, but unfortunately it is often overlooked by both the European institutions and national governments. In Bulgaria, for example, we are accustomed to thinking that we have an abundance of water resources. The real picture, however, is quite different. In recent years, water regimes have become more and more common. The …

18

Jun

2026

BG Speech

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Joint Declaration on ‘Culture for Europe - Europe for Culture’ (debate)

16

Jun

2026

BG Speech

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An EU future for the Western Balkans (joint debate)

20

May

2026

BG Speech

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High time to deliver on the Single Market, providing certainty and predictability for EU businesses and quality jobs (continuation of debate)

Madam President, Vice-President, honourable Members, the European single market is at the heart of our Union and is its greatest economic achievement. But today, years after the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community, this market remains incomplete, overly complex and stifled by bureaucracy and cumbersome regulations. European businesses – especially small, medium-sized and start-ups – …

11

Mar

2026

BG Speech

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Child sexual abuse online: protect children, not perpetrators (topical debate)

Madam President, violence against children is a problem that cannot be solved by legislation alone. If that were the case, we would not be having this debate because European law already has a legal framework in the form of Directive 2011/93/EU. But new generations are growing up in front of screens. The Internet has created opportunities for education, communication, development, but at t…

10

Mar

2026

BG Speech

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EU enlargement strategy (debate)

Mr President, Mrs Koss, the report shows the importance of enlargement, but there is one fundamental problem, and that is the idea of abolishing unanimity in decision-making. I consider this to be incompatible with the current Union legislation, because it deprives the Member States of their powers. Moreover, the report disproportionately addresses issues related to Ukraine and ignores the countri…

21

Jan

2026

BG Speech

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Restoring control of migration: returns, visa policy and third-country cooperation (topical debate)

Mr President, it is a pleasure that the need to control migration has already become a topic for more groups in this Parliament. The European Union cannot remain open if welfare systems are overburdened, borders vulnerable, and the hordes that are coming – the hordes of illegal migrants – carry a culture opposed to the European one. An effective migration policy starts with protecting the Union's …

20

Jan

2026

BG Speech

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Presentation of the programme of activities of the Cyprus Presidency (continuation of debate)

Madam President, the priorities of the Cyprus Presidency make it very clear to us that the European Union is entering a stage where it can no longer afford illusions, but must be more sustainable, more competitive and more realistic, and more autonomous in its actions. For Bulgaria, this means policies that strengthen the economy, energy security and strategic autonomy without undermining the role…

18

Dec

2025

BG Speech

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30th anniversary of the signing of the Dayton-Paris Peace Agreement (debate)

25

Nov

2025

BG Speech

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Protection of minors online (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues, let us be frank - there is no way to protect children in all Member States with a single European recipe. Europe is a mosaic of cultures, values and educational models, and we must respect that. There can be no more bans here. The truth is that the problem is not solved by sanctions, but by conversation. With public consent. With this, parents, teachers a…

21

Oct

2025

BG Speech

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Polarisation and increased repression in Serbia, one year after the Novi Sad tragedy (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, first of all, let me express my sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims of the Novi Sad tragedy. This case is yet another sad proof that systemic corruption is killing. Our Union is based on democracy, the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights. Values that seem unfamiliar to Mr. Vucic's regime. The past year has proven that this cou…

21

Oct

2025

BG Speech

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Institutional consequences of the EU enlargement negotiations (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, yes, the issue of the enlargement of the European Union is a cornerstone for Europe, but I cannot agree that this enlargement must happen at any cost and, above all, by changing the unanimity rule in the Council or, in other words, by repealing the so-called veto. A few days ago, Ms von der Leyen visited the countries of the Western Balkans and reiterated the European U…

9

Sep

2025

BG Speech

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Devastating wildfires in Southern Europe: the need to strengthen EU aid to restore the massive loss of forests and enhancing EU preparedness (debate)

We have before us the alarming truth that the devastating fires that southern Europe is experiencing, the fires that are burning millions of acres of forest, destroying homes and disrupting the livelihoods of thousands of people, are not just a natural disaster, but a pan-European challenge that requires our solidarity response. This year, in my country Bulgaria alone, the fires destroyed over 300…

8

Jul

2025

BG Speech

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2023 and 2024 reports on North Macedonia (debate)

Madam President, in this House, we very often talk about human rights and the rule of law, but tell me, in which Member State of the European Union can a person be condemned for quoting a historical figure? In which country can people be attacked for their origin? Which country is allowed to violate international treaties? Today, here among us in the hall is Mr. Lyubcho Georgievski and he can answ…

19

Jun

2025

BG Speech

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Institutional and political implications of the EU enlargement process and global challenges (debate)

Mr. Zile, Mrs. Zaharieva, I will start with a quote from Mrs. Marta Kos. She recently stated that Macedonia is, I quote, a ‘sad fairy tale’. She forgot to mention, however, that in the Balkans we have a saying: "What you do to yourself, God cannot do to you". The current situation in Skopje is the result solely of their own actions or, more rightly, inactions. Today Skopje could stand shoulder to …

6

May

2025

BG Speech

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2023 and 2024 reports on Kosovo (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, honourable Members, I thank the rapporteur, Mr Terras, and the colleagues with whom we have worked on this report. It is important to underline that Kosovo is a stable partner that consistently demonstrates commitments to European values, including in the context of ongoing tensions with Serbia, where we see the need for a clear and unequivocal condemnation of provocati…

31

Mar

2025

BG Speech

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European Cultural Compass as a driving force for economic competitiveness and resilience (debate)

Madam President, the new Cultural Compass strategy is indeed a chance for a strong, connected and innovative cultural sector in the European Union. But for this strategy to be successful, we need to set the right principles. We need realistic, workable programmes and incentives, devoid of any ideology, that encourage creators and attract investment. Member States must be actively involved, but rem…

13

Feb

2025

BG Speech

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Threats to EU sovereignty through strategic dependencies in communication infrastructure (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, the strategic vision of the Union's technological development has been absent for years. And only now, when global policy has changed and our competitors have embarked on radical trade policies, has the European Commission realised that there are strategic dependencies that threaten the security and competitiveness of European economies. Commissioner Virkkunen said it –…

11

Feb

2025

BG Speech

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Boosting vocational education and training in times of labour market transitions (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, in order to tackle the challenges of a changing labour market, we need to make vocational education more accessible, more flexible and, most importantly, much more realistically linked to the needs of the economy. Firstly, we need to expand reskilling and reskilling programmes so that workers in endangered sectors can switch easily, and especially on time, to new occ…

22

Jan

2025

BG Speech

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Links between organised crime and smuggling of migrants in light of the recent UN reports (debate)

Dear colleagues, 10 years ago Angela Merkel said "Wir schaffen das", we will manage. Well, you didn't make it. 1,265,000 irregular migrants in Europe in 2023, says the European Commission. More than €5.5 billion in profits for criminal human traffickers globally in 2024, says the UN. Trafficking in human beings and violation of borders are criminal offences. Ten years of political correctness over…

18

Dec

2024

BG Speech

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Preparation of the EU-Western Balkans Summit (debate)

Madam President, this summit aims to show political unity and an overview of the region's future accession. The Western Balkans are key to Europe's unity, to strengthening our security, to the development of our economies and to cohesion in the Union. Despite the efforts of the Union, however, we see that countries such as North Macedonia and Serbia refuse to follow the common European policy. The…

16

Dec

2024

BG Speech

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Right to clean drinking water in the EU (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, throughout Europe, we are seeing water supply facilities being disrupted and the quality of the water being supplied deteriorated by torrential rains, as well as water regimes being introduced due to droughts. Particularly critical is the situation in areas without storage tanks for water runoff or with old water pipelines with a very high rate of water loss. This ye…

26

Nov

2024

BG Speech

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Full accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen Area: the urgent need to lift controls at internal land borders (debate)

24

Oct

2024

BG Speech

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Abuse of new technologies to manipulate and radicalise young people through hate speech and antidemocratic discourse (debate)

Mr President, honourable Members, there is no doubt that we must fight radicalisation on the internet, but I would say that we must condemn any discrimination and radicalisation. Yes, racism and xenophobia are unacceptable, but let us also condemn with the same fervor the radical actions of green activists that threaten public order and security. Flooding cultural heritage with paint, blocking roa…

23

Oct

2024

BG Speech

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Foreign interference and hybrid attacks: the need to strengthen EU resilience and internal security (debate)

Foreign interference in the internal affairs of the European Union, quite often in the form of hybrid attacks, is a matter of paramount importance and we all agree here. But let's pay attention to some of the reasons why these attacks find such fertile ground in our union. This parliament very often makes it easy for our enemies to spread their propaganda. How is it? You cannot argue that European…