European leaders praise Bulgaria’s handling of EU Presidency
The presidents of three European Union institutions have praised Bulgaria’s handling of the Council of the EU, the first time the country has played the role since joining the bloc in January 2007.
Speaking to the European Parliament on July 3 during a session on the Bulgarian EU Presidency, which came to a close on June 30, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said that the Bulgarian EU Presidency had fully lived up to its motto, “United We Stand Strong”.
Bulgaria had built bridges and brought people together, with progress on key issues such as the digital society, the Western Balkans, posting of workers and the Economic and Monetary Union, Juncker said.
Bulgaria had shown leadership and courage, Juncker said, also addressing Prime Minister Boiko Borissov in a tweet: “Excellent work”.
European Parliament President Antonio Tajani said that Bulgaria’s first-ever European Council Presidency had “punched above its weight”.
“Congratulations @BoykoBorissov on your work at the helm of the EU. We count on Bulgaria to continue to be a key player in reforming Europe, to make it work better for our citizens,” Tajani said in a Twitter message.
In a statement, Tajani said that Bulgaria had achieved results on key issues for the citizens such as
the cessation of geoblocking, the introduction of electronic cards for university students and the provision of a clear European perspective for the Western Balkans.
On June 30, the day of the ceremonial handover of the EU Presidency from Bulgaria to Austria, European Council President Donald Tusk said in a tweet: “Thank you PM @BoykoBorissov, for the outstanding and effective @EU2018BG Presidency. You and your team have done a truly remarkable job. Including on the Sofia Summit, which was a historic moment in terms of our relations with the Western Balkans”.
(Photo: Clive Leviev-Sawyer)