Bulgaria PM Address to Nation: It Is Vital to Vote on Sunday

Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Sergey Stanishev, issued Saturday an address to the Bulgarian people, regarding the upcoming European Parliament elections.

Novinite.com is publishing the statement in its entirety:

Dear Bulgarian Citizens,

Tomorrow we, as all other citizens of unified Europe, will go to the polls to choose our representatives in the European Parliament. Our first two years in the European Union were difficult and filled with challenges. We worked very hard to change our social systems and align them with the European standards. This is not an easy endeavor, but change is happening. And it happens each and every day - with the tremendous effort of the entire Bulgarian Nation, because we are unified around the idea that our future lays within the European family.

I am proud to be able to lead these efforts. EUR 100 M from the European funds for Bulgaria were released by the EU in the last weeks - as a result of the change encompassing all areas of life and of the concrete results. Bulgaria has the opportunity to receive much more.

Every day we improve our work dedicated to the protection of your interests - the interests of Bulgarian people in Europe.

During this campaign, Bulgaria's political parties presented many dignified nominees, who will lead this effort and the battle for Bulgaria in Europe in the next four years. I know many are asking themselves -why vote for the European parliament? What do I care? How is this going to change my life?

The answer is all around us: because many of the important things in our lives are determined in Brussels and Strasbourg - the health, pensions, education standards, the farming subsidies and much, much more... Because Europe's future development will reflect directly on the prosperity of each and every one of us.

Some believe that denying the achievements, discrediting their political opponents will help them. That by slandering Bulgaria before Europe they will contribute to the positive change. But they are wrong to see Brussels as just the next ground for internal politics, serving their own interests. They are ready to risk our common fight for a European Bulgaria, for more and more fair subsidies, for higher pensions, larger financial resources, for the modernization of the country, because this is serving their political aims at the moment. I will never settle for such an attitude towards Bulgaria.

I do not believe in the cheap and caustic remarks and populist goals at the expense of Bulgaria and Bulgarian citizens. I believe in obstinate work and firm decisiveness.

This is why it is important that on Sunday each one of you goes to the polls and votes. I am appealing to you to vote for the dignified and competent Bulgarians, who can defend our interests in Brussels. For those, who know how to rise above politics and represent best our Nation.

I beg you to vote Sunday for Bulgaria's better future as a proud EU member!

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