In the conditions of both political uncertainty and conflicting internal opinions regarding the sustainable transition in Bulgaria, the country failed to achieve significant progress.
While the European Union is making great efforts to create a recovery plan that includes sustainability targets, some member states are lagging behind in their commitment to implement such reforms. This is according to an analysis by OBCT, an Italian non-governmental organization specialized in the study of Eastern and Southeastern Europe, Turkey and the Caucasus.
A recent analysis of the progress of the European National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), led by Openpolis and in collaboration with partners from Slovakia, Greece and Hungary, as part of the European Journalism Data Network, found that Bulgaria and Hungary are lagging far behind in achieving its green transition milestones and targets.
The former country has implemented only 3% and the latter has implemented none of them at the time of the report. These observations reveal how far Europe as a continent is from achieving its sustainability goals.
To support the development of the continent after the pandemic and to help finance the recovery of its member states, in 2021 the European Union created the NextGenerationEU plan. At the heart of the project is the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRSP), which includes climate and sustainable development targets to ensure that the European Union's recovery plan is in line with its goal of becoming the first climate-neutral ( zero emissions) continent by 2050
As evidenced by EU funding, a key aspect of NextGenerationEU involves positioning the continent to achieve these goals, because at least 30% of the EU's recovery plan and budget are dedicated to developing environmental projects and addressing change in the climate. The EU has collectively earmarked funds to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030, to support the transition to clean energy and to create conditions for the development of sustainable transport
While the continent collectively shares these common goals, each country has its recovery plan and the freedom to choose where to invest, although there are certain criteria and specific milestones that each country must achieve in the process.
However, this lack of progress is not surprising when considering the political situation and general opposition to the green transition in Bulgaria and Hungary.
Bulgaria has been experiencing political problems for years, and despite holding its sixth election in the last three years in June, it failed to form a minority government. This political uncertainty, combined with a general scepticism about the green transition, has affected the country's progress in meeting the main goals and obtaining recovery funds.
In 2021, the country's green transition debate began to take shape, as Bulgaria was at the time the most carbon-intensive economy in the EU, with nearly half of the country's electricity coming from coal. Bulgaria, the Union's poorest member, has sought to divest from coal under pressure from the European Community while assuring workers in the sector that their livelihoods will be protected.
Although this happened three years ago, protests by coal and power plant workers continued, prompting the Bulgarian parliament in April 2024 to postpone a vote on the Climate Neutrality Roadmap, which, if approved, would have unlocked €4.4 billion in EU funding. In the run-up to the European Parliament elections in June 2024, one of the veteran miners and strike organizers said "The Green Deal is a farce that threatens our well-being and fuels anti-European sentiment". A former Bulgarian prime minister also expressed the opinion of Bulgarians about the agreement, saying that it was "suffering and something invented by the Brussels bureaucracy, which was imposed on them and of which they are victims", and suggested that it would be "an opportunity to modernize of our production, economy and innovation'. However, amid both political uncertainty and conflicting internal opinions regarding the sustainable transition in Bulgaria, the country has not been able to make significant progress.
In Hungary, the attitudes and the political situation regarding the green transition are quite similar to those in Bulgaria. Viktor Orbán, the prime minister of Hungary, who took over the six-month presidency of the EU Council in early July, has for years spoken out against climate action. In 2019, after more than a year of European discussions, Orbán vetoed EU plans to reduce carbon emissions by 2050. In response to the 55% reduction target by 2030, Orbán accused "green deal" politicians that they are 'killing the European middle class with the Fit for 55 legislative package'.
In recent months, the Hungarian leader has reversed course, now "speaking out in support of renewable energy sources and climate action, but often without implementing a corresponding list of policies." This change comes at a time when polls show that more and more Hungarians believe that the green transition is important.
However, the Hungarian leader is still critical of Europe's approach and strategy. In a recent article in the Financial Times, Orban, like his colleagues in Bulgaria, expressed scepticism about the green transition, writing how it was a prime example of "misguided decisions by Brussels that run counter to the realities of the global economy." Orbán suggested that the EU was "imposing its own ideologically motivated goals without adequately consulting industry". While he insists that Europe should be a leader in this transition, he is very critical of the regulations that the Union has introduced.
As a result of these concerns from politicians and some industries, both countries failed to achieve the expected milestones and therefore did not receive part of the NextGenerationEU funding that was intended for them. However, if the EU wants to become de-emissions by 2050, the governments of all 27 countries must support the vision and the plan. | BGNES
