(B2) Over the past twenty years, Bulgarian journalist Elena Yoncheva has covered her share of conflicts. Elected MEP in May 2019, she is now learning the slowness of things, without losing her convictions, determined to participate in the emergence of a Europe of defense
In 2003, in Iraq, Elena Yoncheva (foreground) attended, with other journalists, the landing of the Americans. A photo of Olivier Coret.
Elena Yoncheva (S&D/Bulgarian Socialist Party) is a member of the SEDE (Security and Defence) subcommittee of the European Parliament. She served as shadow rapporteur on Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), the framework for building common defense capabilities. She is also active in the LIBE commission (public liberties).
war reporter, always camera in hand
Stubborn or shrewd. Curious, certainly. This is what characterizes Elena Yoncheva. During her career as a journalist, she has traveled the world from Korea to Chechnya, via Syria, Kosovo, Colombia and Somalia. Iraq, where she remained for three months between February and May 2003, is the country which the most marked ". She decided to leave there on February 14, 2003. That day, she listened to Dominique de Villepin, Jacques Chirac's former foreign minister, before the UN Security Council, urging the United States in particular not to not intervene militarily in Iraq that it decides to go there. Elena is struck by " his arguments and his emotion. He explained what could happen if such an invasion took place ».
From a kidnapping in Iraq...
Why is this the most significant conflict? Once in Iraq, she was there “kidnapped with Portuguese colleagues for 5/6 hours by Iraqis ". It was April 9, 2003, in Baghdad, the day the Americans landed. This morning, " the silence was complete ". " We heard neither Iraqi nor American soldiers. Senior reporters said something is going to happen, so we're not going to work separately today. ". She leaves the hotel and gets into a car with two Portuguese colleagues. Intercepted by gunfire, the car stops, the journalists force their way out, " they hit us, beat us... ". The " custody " in " a kind of police station " end " like a bad movie ": " some Iraqis wanted to kill us, others waited… an Iraqi came in, he spoke in Bulgarian, “I'll help you” he said, he came back an hour later and we were able to get out! ". As a reflex, Elena filmed everything.
... to a Member of Parliament in Brussels!
The one who did not let go of her camera then " make the promise to quit this job. A promise " forgotten the next morning ". The voice smiles, she confides, " I remain a journalist, even though I am a parliamentarian ". She recounts this memory as she describes her work as an MEP for two years. Without bragging. To the job.
From field to politics
From these experiences of conflict, Elena is also marked by this inability of politicians to prevent or stop wars. Like a paralysis... She remembers her filming in Aleppo, Syria, for almost a month, in 2013. " Part of the city was controlled by dozens of Islamist groups, they weren't hiding or about their goals, but it was as if Europe hadn't noticed them. The media did not cover everything that was happening in Syria. A year later, Europe woke up to the news that an Islamic State had arisen and was controlling part of the region...all of a sudden ».
Coming out of amazement
« We had all the tools, we Europeans, to warn, to stop and we couldn't do it. It is hopeless “, she lets go. What she finds difficult to accept, it is the prudence of politicians ". She " includes " the research " balance », but denounces the inertia to which this leads. His belief is that " Europe needs a common foreign policy to be strong, independent and to protect the interests of its citizens”. This is what prompted her to apply to be shadow rapporteur on the implementation of PESCO in 2020. For her, the common security and defense policy is "a formidable tool", as she expressed in plenary in January 2021 when discussing the CSDP annual report.
For a common European army
She is also openly campaigning for the creation of a common European army. It is " a long process "The" road is difficult "," but it is possible! “The one who has covered nearly 25 contemporary conflicts ensures that she is not a warmonger. To those who fear a militarization of Europe, even within her S&D group, she replies " on the contrary ! ". " And if we pull together, we'll have a better way to spend ». She repeats : " to be a strong Europe, we must have all the tools to be listened to and respected ».
A potential to be confirmed
According to Elena, the common security and defense policy “ has the potential to create a strong Europe ". " But we're only talking about that potential at this point ". This annoys him. It's necessary " military cooperation in the field of defense is accelerating she urges. She said to herself " optimistic "," I believe in this process ". But on condition that Brussels finds the mechanism » so that the « small countries like Bulgaria, imply their military industry", "as in a puzzle ". Because " if there is strength in unity, small pebbles can also stop this process! ».
Observe, analyze, propose
Having become a parliamentarian, Elena continues to follow the countries she has traveled camera in hand. Like Afghanistan. Within the European Parliament's delegation for relations with Afghanistan, she is working on a report to break the economic dependence of this country on the cultivation of opium. " Today it is Europe's main supplier of heroin, and production has increased steadily over the past fifteen years. Europe must propose a mechanism to reduce this production because it is also a victim of it. And it challenges our safety ". She knows the immense task, " because part of Afghanistan feeds on this production "," but we can at least work on this problem and propose solutions! ».
Patience and persuasion
Parliamentary work has constraints, habits, codes. " Unfortunately “Blows Elena Yoncheva. " We always have to look for the balance, look for the opinions of the different groups, everything is too slow, for a journalist it's a bit strange, I thought that things, especially in an emergency, could happen faster, but it is like that. Elena learned. She accepts. " Maybe this is the right way to work... she ponders, as if to give herself patience. 'Cause she knows, she'll know in the future » if they are « useful compromises ».
Freedom of the press, media and opinions
There is a subject on which, on the other hand, she does not compromise, it is the rule of law. This is the other subject to which she devotes her mandate, within the LIBE committee. She is an active member of the monitoring group on the rule of law and democracy. " It's like a rapid-response unit. When there is a serious problem, we can gather information, invite people in power to get information from the first source. "" It works “, she assures, well almost … “ not with Bulgaria ". The situation is even very tense... Prime Minister Boyko Borissov is the only one of the Prime Ministers invited to have refused to discuss with the parliamentarians. In his country, Elena has already suffered his wrath.
... in Bulgaria in particular
His criticism is fierce: In Bulgaria, journalism is killed ". She assumes the word, citing the rankings of Reporters Without Borders or the Council of Europe which relegate Bulgaria " at the level of Afghanistan ". " Freedom of the press has practically disappeared. The Parliament has also spoken. Elena was on the move. " But as in Bulgaria, the media are not free, this resolution had zero effect! she laments. This makes him think that a resolution of the European Parliament " has effect only when there is a democratic system in the country ». According to a report by the European Parliament, published three years ago, each year Bulgaria loses 11 billion euros due to corruption », insists the MEP. From now on, the Bulgarian expects more than words from the EU: " measures must be taken ».
