Bulgaria Marks Europe Day and Victory Day

Together with another 740 million Europeans, Bulgaria today celebrates Europe Day. United by the idea of a common political and economic union, while also sharing the burden of successive crises, today’s message is one of tolerance, freedom and security.

On 9 May, Europe Day coincides with Victory Day over Nazism. On this date in 1945, the Second World War came to an end after Nazi Germany signed its act of unconditional surrender to the Allied powers. Five years later, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman delivered his historic declaration, which laid the foundations for what is now the European Union.

The day was also marked in Sofia, where the President, the Prime Minister, ministers and MPs took part in a ceremony to raise the European flag outside the Presidency building.

On Europe Day, Iliana Iotova received the guard of honour of the National Guards Unit.

Photo by Press Office of the Presidency

To the strains of Ode to Joy, the European flag was raised in front of the Presidency building.

Iliana Iotova said Bulgaria’s voice in Europe must be as strong as that of the other 26 member states of the European Union.

“In marking this day, we commemorate Victory Day — the victory in the Second World War and the end of the greatest tragedy in human history. Today we also celebrate the vision of a peaceful and prosperous Europe, dreamed of by its founders.

Precisely today, when the world is once again torn apart by conflicts, we owe a tremendous duty both to our parents and to those who come after us — just as our parents entrusted peace to us. It is now our great responsibility to leave peace to our children,” she said.

The Head of State, together with the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister, laid wreaths at the Monument to the Unknown Soldier in memory of Bulgarian soldiers who died in the fight against Nazism.

Prime Minister Rumen Radev said that the European Union shoiuld have not only moral leadership, but also the determination to be a factor of peace.

Rumen Radev, Prime Minister: “It is precisely on a day such as 9 May — when Victory Day opened the way to Europe Day and to the hope of peaceful development for the nations of Europe, overcoming those terrible bloodbaths — that the European Union today has a profound responsibility to stop the bloodshed in Ukraine and in the Middle East.”

Photo by BTA

He added:

Rumen Radev, Prime Minister: “We owe a great deal even today to President Trump, who intervened and prevented a huge escalation that could have taken place precisely on this day in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. I know that right now everything is calm, and this is a very important sign.”