Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

The complex structure of the EU discussed in Sofia

Photo: institutfrancais.bg

On 9 March, within the frameworks of Francophonie month and the year in which Bulgaria marks 30 years since it became a member of the International Organisation of La Francophonie, the French Institute in this country, in partnership with the Belgian embassy and the St. Kliment Ohridski University, Sofia organized a conference on “European construction: challenges and future prospects”. The conference is part of a series of discussions dedicated to Europe.

The complex structure of the European Union was discussed by Loïc Grard, Professor of public law at the University of Bordeaux and President of the French Association of European Studies, Prof. Jean Crombois from the Department of Political Science and European Studies at the American University in Bulgaria, and Ildiko Otova who lectures at New Bulgarian University and at the St. Kliment Ohridski University.

Loïc Grard, Jean Crombois and  Ildiko Otova
Loïc Grard presented Jacques Delors’ model of Europe as concentric circles (Jacques Delors was President of the European Commission from 1985 to 1995) or as a shuttle on several levels with a solid nucleus around which the rest of the countries gravitate:

“We can be a family and not advance at the same speed,” he believes. In his words, together we can achieve what it is impossible to do individually.

Mobility, migration and citizenship are the elements around which the notion of Europe is articulated, Ildiko Otova said. The discussion has to revert to individual stories, she added.

According to Loïc Grard, a new narrative about Europe is needed, and it has to be connected with the main risk of today – the risk to the environment.  

“I think that the priority in the discussion about Europe has to be Green Europe because on their own Bulgaria, France or Belgium are not going to get far,” he said.

Photos: institutfrancais.bg



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Anna Tertychna

200,000 Ukrainians have found temporary shelter in Bulgaria

Over 3.5 million Ukrainians have arrived in or passed through Bulgaria since the beginning of the war. Nearly 200,000 people have found temporary shelter in the country, announced Anna Tertychna from the Ukrainian Embassy in Bulgaria. She..

published on 11/29/24 5:12 PM
Prof. Bettany Hughes

Prof. Bettany Hughes: Bulgaria is a very special place

At the Bulgarian Embassy in London, Prof. Bettany Hughes presented excerpts from the new BBC series - Wonders of Bulgaria. Prof. Bettany Hughes is the author of two episodes of the documentary. Hughes is a historian, writer, author of..

published on 11/29/24 1:40 PM

Cardiovascular conditions are the main cause of death in Bulgaria

According to the Annual Report on the Health Status of Bulgarian Citizens for 2023, t he main cause of death in Bulgaria is diseases of the cardiovascular system (61.1%), followed by oncological diseases (16.5%) and diseases of the respiratory system..

published on 11/28/24 1:57 PM