Yesterday the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the EU /JHA/ reached with a great majority consensus on the distribution of 120,000 migrants within two phases. Thus the opposition of a series of Eastern European countries was overcome, regarding the Brussels-proposed quotas. Four member-states voted against after serious debates – the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Hungary. Finland abstained. So, today’s European Council faces no obstacles and the EU leaders will tackle measures for coping with the migrant crisis. Bulgaria is now obliged to receive immediately 852 refugees from Greece and Italy. Thus the overall number of the migrants, received as of July will reach 1,352.

“This engagement must be compulsory - otherwise its implementation loses any sense. At the same time we know that this solution is a temporary one and principle approaches and decisions should be sought for the ceasing of this critical situation,” said Vice Premier Rumiana Bachvarova, who doesn’t argue on the Bulgarian share.

Accoridng to CEO of the Economics and International Relations Institute Lyubomir Kyuchukov the European measures are urgent and late.

“All measures so far seem logical, but have one major disadvantage – they do not solve the problem. And we have two major problems: the Middle East wars – Syria, Iraq and the greatest number of refugees coming from there; the other issue is the globalization of inequality. The poverty of Africa is now a problem of Europe as well, as it generates economic migrants. So, I would say that Bulgaria is interested in the seeking of an all-European solution within solidarity. Being the EU’s external border, our country should look for a solution of that kind, no matter the circumstances. There are over 2 million Syrian refugees in Turkey only. Those might easily decide to change the route for one reason or another and then Bulgaria might end up in the same situation as Greece, Hungary or Italy. This is one of the key elements, but the more important thing is that Europe should focus on the removal of the prerequisites for that. I think this means the implementation of the European political engagement to the maximum, in order for the ceasing of the Syrian civil war to be sought and this can be done through politics only and not via military actions. Then Europe, alongside all international factors should look for the solution of the ISIS problem within a decision of the UN Security Council. A political decision is something impossible with the ISIS.”

“We have witnessed many refugee crises in our region, but now we see a powerful flood of people, aimed with a clear goal towards countries, where one can live well,” Prof. Dinko Dinkov from the International Relations Dept. of the University for National and World Economy comments.

“Right now Europe witnesses national egoisms with new dimensions. The EU is trying to distribute the migrant flow in a centralized manner, but it still can’t develop an effective foreign policy of security and defense due precisely to these national egoisms. This hesitation of Europe right now is very dangerous for the Balkans that still remain separated. Moreover, not all Balkan states are EU members. All these separate displays of national egoism create difficulties in a period when we must act as one.”

English version: Zhivko Stanchev