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Interview of Filiz Hyusmenova for Standard Newspaper on 08.02.2007 |
- Mrs. Hyusmenova, could you tell us about the documentary which will be screened on Bulgaria's Liberation Day, March 3, at the European Parliament. Who is behind this initiative?
- The BBC documentary, called Bulgaria's Abandoned Children was broadcast by BBC Four in September last year. The film shows the conditions at the institution for disabled children in Mogilino village. The film attracted the public attention in Great Britain and Ireland, many ordinary citizens responded and made comments after the screening of Bulgaria's Abandoned Children. It could be said that after the broadcasting of the documentary, the film's director - journalist Kate Blewett started a campaign for dealing with the situation in Mogilino. Many colleagues of mine - MEPs asked us about the conditions in this institution and offered their help. Several MEPs from the UK demanded an explanation from Bulgaria's Ministry of Labour and Social Policy. Apparently, the European institutions are trying to exert political pressure on Bulgaria, to make the state show more serious attitude towards the needs of the disabled children. I support the idea that the disabled children should have the best treatment through the efforts of various institutions in the country. Thus we can find solution to the problem on a national level. The NGOs in Bulgaria can and should put pressure, so that a prompt decision is found to this problem - a problem that has been neglected by the state for decades. I think that we shouldn't concentrate on a particular case, but adopt a common European policy in dealing with the issue. A definite course of actions of the European institutions for improving the living conditions of every child in need in the EU.
- What actions did you take as a member of the European Parliament?
- Looking forward to solving the problem in general, the Bulgarian members of ALDE came out with a declaration supported by Iliana Yotova (PES) and presented it at the European Parliament. In that declaration we insist on a common European policy in raising of disabled children. We insist that care for these kids should become a priority and the EC to have permanent control over the orphanages. In the declaration we do not refer only to the institution in Mogilino because it is not the only orphanage in the EU. Our aim is to raise money to support these nursing homes and focus the public attention on the disabled kids in the whole community. We insist that this should be a social issue, there should be no political interpretations as it happens in Bulgaria and other EU member states and not to undervalue the efforts of our government to solve the problems. We will do our best in the next three months to collect 400 MEPs' signatures and make it a declaration of the European Parliament.
- Are there other ways to oppose such situations?
After the meeting between MEPs and Minister Maslarova, we agreed to continue our efforts towards resolving such issues within the Community in a long term, and also to promote the results achieved in Bulgaria in the field of deinstitutionalization and care for children without parents. Our efforts will be aimed at sharing the good practices from countries with outstanding achievements in the field of disadvantaged child care, and changing the social attitudes towards integrating and supporting children deprived of parental care.
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