In brief
At a packed Youth Centre event on 28 October 2026, MEPs Andrey Novakov and Radan Kanev engaged with local youth about security, with participants asking how Bulgaria could protect itself while investing in its economy. Moderated by Teodor Stoychev, the meeting highlighted the importance of youth input for decision‑making. The discussion was organized by the European Commission’s Representative Office and the Europe Direct Blagoevgrad Centre as part of EU efforts to build national consensus on security issues.
On Wednesday, 28 October 2026, a packed Youth Centre in Blagoevgrad hosted a discussion that brought together local young people and Members of the European Parliament to talk about European security challenges and how Bulgaria could respond to them.
The meeting, organized by the European Commission’s Representative Office in Bulgaria and the Europe Direct Blagoevgrad Centre, was titled "Navigating Security: Europe's Choices and Young People's Views". It drew a full hall on a weekday, evidence that the topic had captured the interest of the region’s youth.
MPs Andrey Novakov, a representative of the GERB party and the European People’s Party, and Radan Kanev, a Democrat for Strong Bulgaria MP also aligned with the European People’s Party, both spoke to reporters before the deliberation. Kanev said the event had been planned well in advance but had proved particularly timely, adding that "security was the most important topic to discuss with young people, given the uncertainty of the world today and the need for Bulgaria to address major questions of security and peace with a view to the future of the generation now entering active adulthood."
"Security was the most important topic to discuss with young people, given the uncertainty of the world today and the need for Bulgaria to address major questions of security and peace with a view to the future of the generation now entering active adulthood."
Following Kanev, Novakov highlighted the enthusiasm of the room, noting that the full hall on a weekday signalled a strong interest among the young attendees. He reflected on the two‑hour dialogue, stating that participants had asked how Bulgaria could protect itself while continuing to invest in its economy, and that young people “clearly needed more meetings, time and discussions to better understand complex processes.”
Moderator Teodor Stoychev, the head of the European Commission’s Representative Office in Bulgaria, opened the discussion by noting that the EU was developing a variety of programmes and mechanisms to strengthen the security of its Member States. He underscored that the meeting aimed to capture the views of a generation already taking part in decision‑making and soon to be politicians, public administrators, entrepreneurs, or security professionals.
Speaking to BTA, head of the Europe Direct Blagoevgrad Centre Krasimira Hadzhikoseva explained that "security was chosen as a topic because it would shape all European policies in the years ahead." The discussion covered various dimensions of national and collective security, with a particular focus on how Bulgaria could navigate these issues amid economic growth and evolving geopolitical dynamics.
Throughout the event, young participants posed questions about Ukraine, cyber‑threats and the rising influence of Russia in the region. The MEPs answered by outlining EU strategy and discussing potential funding streams for national resilience initiatives, stressing that a shared consensus on security matters was essential to prevent division within Bulgarian society.
Concluding the session, Kanev urged that young voices should guide the nation’s thinking on risk and challenge mitigation. He called for continued forums, suggesting that repeated engagement would enable the youth to become more informed participants in future policymaking.
As the meeting closed, participants thanked the European Commission’s team and the Europe Direct Centre for creating a space where they could voice concerns and learn how collective security can be built in a rapidly changing world.
