Meeting-Discussion on The Globalists Vs Nationalists: Success, Limits and Challenges to The EU after Brexit

In the Large Conference Hall was held a meeting-discussion on the Globalists Vs Nationalists: Success, Limits and Challenges to the EU after Brexit. Guest-lecturers were Prof. Dr. Diego Lucci, Professor of Philosophy and History at the American University in Bulgaria who spoke on the British Intellectual Culture and Europe: Why Brexit is a Tragedy for the European Union as well as Andrey Kovatchev, Member of the European Parliament and President of the European Federalists of Bulgaria who delivered a lecture on the EU: Unity Makes Strength. At the event attended Assoc. Prof. Dr. Milanka Slavova, Vice Rector for Education in the EQD of Bachelor and Lifelong Learning, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ivan Stoychev, Head of the International Economic Relations and Business Department, Prof. Dr. Dinko Dinkov, lecturer at the International Relations Department who was also moderator during the discussion, lecturers and students.

Prof. Dinkov presented the guests and defined the event as a contribution to the most actual topic at the moment – the future of the EU.

Prof. Dinkov is presenting the guests

On behalf of the Rector of UNWE Prof. D.Sc.(Econ.) Statty Stattev greeting words appealed to the guests and attendees Assoc. Prof. Dr. Milanka Slavova. She expressed thankfulness to the lecturers and outlined the importance of the topic. The world is changing, the European integration is changing and all that we teach to our students should be given a new meaning, pointed out Assoc. Prof. Slavova and wished the participants success.

Assoc. Prof. Slavova is greeting the participants in the meeting-discussion

In his lecture Prof. Dr. Diego Lucci reviewed the historical development of the idea of liberalism and principles of liberal democracy as he outlined that namely the UK had been the symbol of liberal democracy, Europe had been the cradle of democracy and according to him in it contains more philosophical than economic essence of Brexit. The lecturer spoke about the necessity of democracy development in a global not only in a regional plan. He examined the deficit of democracy as one of the problems for solvation and exposed his points of view about the liberal democracy as a term whose absolutisation would turn it into “a tyranny of majority”.

Prof. Dr. Diego Lucci

Andrey Kovatchev determined the European Union as “an instrument to overcome the damages and horrors of humanity through European integration also on the Balkans”. He sustained the views of Prof. Lucci about the so called tyranny of majority as he outlined that one of the priorities of the modern democratic society should be to keep the democracy from distraction by those who had tried through democratic elections to incorporate new models of democracy destroying its development. The lecturer emphasized on the necessity to exercise an informed choice not admitting referendums on issues concerning the human rights, death penalty or other strongly developed moral and ethical rules that should not be undermined.

Andrey Kovatchev

The lecturer reviewed the geopolitical, emotional and valuable aspects of the question “why Europe doesn`t have any alternative and why Europe of nations is not an alternative” as he outlined the major EU principles – justice, freedom, democracy, superiority of law. He pointed out that the opportunity to travel round Europe, freedom of speech and peace hadn`t been a datum and should not be accepted as datum. Kovatchev spoke about the necessity of integration in policies important for Europe in the current new geopolitical situation and the common European defence in our globalizing world. The lecturer outlined also the important role of Bulgaria for the faster integration in the context of the challenges related to Turkey and the West Balkans.

During the discussion

The event continued with discussion on the topics exposed by both lecturers.   

Certificates of Appreciation for their lectures were awarded to Prof. Dr. Diego Lucci and Andrey Kovatchev by the Rector Prof. D.Sc. (Econ.) Statty Stattev.