In brief
On 28 October 2026, the European Commission’s Representative Office and the Europe Direct Blagoevgrad Centre hosted a two‑hour discussion at the city’s Youth Centre. Members of the European Parliament Andrey Novakov and Radan Kanev addressed a full hall of young attendees, stressing the urgency of national consensus on security and the need for youth voices in policy decisions.
In Blagoevgrad on 28 October 2026, a hall at the Youth Centre filled with young residents as Europe's representatives took the stage to talk about the continent’s security in a meeting organized by the European Commission’s Representative Office in Bulgaria and the Europe Direct Blagoevgrad Centre.
The session, titled "Navigating Security: Europe's Choices and Young People's Views," drew the attention of MEPs Andrey Novakov, representing the GERB party and the European People’s Party, and Radan Kanev of the Democrats for Strong Bulgaria, also aligned with the European People’s Party.
Before the discussion, Kanev told reporters in an interview that the event had been carefully planned months earlier. He said the timing was particularly relevant, adding that security was the most important topic for a generation stepping into adulthood amid an uncertain global landscape. He called for a national consensus on security and urged young people to help steer society’s approach to the great risks and challenges of the coming years.
Novakov echoed the mood of the hall, noting that the full accommodation during a weekday signalled strong interest from local youth. He reflected on the dialogue, which lasted about two hours, and said participants had asked how Bulgaria could protect itself while continuing to invest in its economy. He testified that young people needed more opportunities to discuss complex policy issues.
Teodor Stoychev, head of the European Commission’s Representative Office in Bulgaria, explained that the European Union is developing new programmes and mechanisms to strengthen the security of its Member States. He stressed that the meeting was intended to capture the views of young people who are already becoming decision‑makers and will soon shape Bulgaria’s future as politicians, public administrators, entrepreneurs, or security professionals. He said that their perspectives needed to be heard and taken into account by Bulgaria’s representatives in the European Parliament.
An overview of the meeting took place early on Thursday, 28 October, and it was a full hall. The energy in the room was palpable and the enthusiasm for the topic incredibly high.
Stoychev spoke to the press, noting that the European Union is actively creating environments where such discussions can happen, underlining the importance of developing the next generation’s understanding of security policies.
Security was chosen as a topic because it will shape all European policies in the years ahead.
Speaking for the Europe Direct Blagoevgrad Centre, Krasimira Hadzhikoseva emphasised that security is a core theme for all of Europe’s future policy making. She said the focus on the topic would open up debate across various policy dimensions, from economic stability to peace maintenance.
The discussion gave youth participants a chance to pose questions directly to two of the Parliament’s senior representatives. Many asked how Bulgaria could balance defensive strategies with economic growth, and how national security could be integrated into everyday policy making without causing division.
The session ended with the consensus that security must be framed as a collective responsibility and that the most effective approach would involve the voices of those whose lives will be shaped by future European policies. MEPs reassured participants that their views would be brought back to Brussels, where the EU’s security framework is debated. Youth participants, in turn, expressed optimism that their concerns would receive the attention they deserve and that future meetings would help to solidify a practical roadmap for national and continental security.
