Bulgarians abroad have long shown a keen interest in their homeland. On the one hand, they left their relatives and friends and they are not indifferent to their situation here, while on the other - many have plans to return to Bulgaria in the future. However, most of them claim that they would return under certain conditions. They want a better living environment and opportunities to realize their potential.

Alexander Detev, who was born in Plovdiv and is now a resident of Germany and a journalist in the Bulgarian section of Deutsche Welle, sees good perspectives in Bulgaria. He has spent much of the past 10 years in Germany and Austria but every time he returns to Bulgaria, he sees that the country has been changing for the better.

"Bulgaria looks different compared to the times when I left for Vienna, some ten years ago," Alex says. “There are bright and progressive young people who are developing well and who have been realizing wonderful ideas despite all the obstacles. I often try to find an answer to the question: what is Bulgaria lacking in order to progress and develop? I am more and more convinced that it lacks courage. We are doing relatively well, but we can do much better. Courage is in short supply in Bulgaria. We know about the main issues - injustice, poverty, corruption, insufficient freedom of the media, etc. These are problems that can only be solved with courage. I hope that our society will gain more self-confidence. And here we see another paradox - the economic indicators of Bulgaria are not bad but if you ask, most people would tell you that the situation is awful. However, we still don't want to do anything about it. I know it takes effort but it would be great if we could deal with this paradox.”

When asked if he would help in such a venture, Alex answers:

"In recent years, I have spent a lot of my time in Bulgaria, but even when I am abroad, I have never severed ties with my homeland. I have invested quite a bit of my time and efforts in various initiatives for the benefit of Bulgaria. This is also valid for many Bulgarians abroad. Moreover, nowadays the distances are not so big. The flight is an hour and a half long and is completely affordable. I have friends who live abroad but come every weekend to Bulgaria. It is entirely possible and achievable and this valuable resource should be used. After all, Bulgaria once spread between three seas and now it is on 7 continents. So, what's the problem?!”

But in such conversations, there always seems to be something left unsaid. We don’t say who can do everything Alex is talking about.

“It's like talking to the mirror. I'm going to say something that may sound trivial to many but let's start with separating our garbage, for example. Maybe, the whole process isn't organized in the best way but we can also make an effort; the trash bins are right in front of our homes. In Austria or Germany, if you throw your paper garbage in the bin for plastic waste, you would be in trouble. If these small steps of taking responsibility were made, we would reach the self-confidence we are talking about and that we currently lack. It is good to know that you had set a task and completed it. This is how your self-confidence improves. The past is a wonderful thing to learn from, but we can't draw our entire confidence from it because people in the past have done enough for their present."

Photos: BGNES