As a part of the “Case Studies in the Making of the European Parliament and Parliamentarians: Conversation Series,” the European Union Center was proud to host Georgi Pirinski, a former member of the European Parliament (MEP) on March 31. Having been elected to the European Parliament in May of 2014, Pirinski served as a member on various committees, most notably the Committee to Budgetary Control and Committee on Employment and Social Affairs.
He spoke in depth about his experience as an MEP, beginning with his election to the European Parliament, along with 17 other Bulgarian representatives that were distributed between the major political parties. He described his time in office as being challenging, having to choose parliamentary committees and register formally with the EU Parliament, made more difficult as he was born in the United States.
As a newer member of the EU, Bulgaria has had to overcome its historical ties with the Soviet Union and the stereotypical preconceptions of being Eastern, a notion that followed Pirinski into the European Parliament. He noted the unconscious skepticism in the caseload given to Bulgarian representatives — never difficult dossiers or final conclusions — so the unspoken divide created an additional challenge in drafting his legislature on undeclared work.
During his time in Parliament, Pirinski tackled the issue of undeclared work, which refers to work that is not illegal but is undeclared with regards to proper taxation and social rights. Having been on the agenda since 2007, this was a notoriously difficult file, made only more demanding with “social dumping,” the perception in older member states that newer member states have an unfair advantage because of lower social security and income in their countries. With hundreds of thousands of Eastern European workers seeking work in Western Europe, Pirinski advocated for both access to jobs in the West and equal pay and terms for Eastern European workers.
Already having to overcome unconscious skepticism, Pirinski felt the landmark decision of Brexit created a new obstacle in gaining equal social rights for Eastern European workers. With over 100,000 Bulgarians living in the U.K., all 17 Bulgarian MEPs prioritized the prevention of expulsion and discrimination against those working there. Allegations that Bulgarians were drawing down social security and health security funds had to be disproven; their contributions were actually greater than the depletions. Pirinski’s platform of tackling undeclared work evolved into something greater: the fight against Eastern stereotypes and prejudice.
Pirinski entered the European Parliament as an unknown figure; many of his colleagues didn’t know who he was, except perhaps the fact that he was Bulgarian and thus held doubts in his competency. Becoming the rapporteur for the undeclared work file, Pirinski challenged these notions and was able to draft, table, negotiate, and ultimately adopt legislation. This success was not only a win for social rights, but Pirinski became more well known to his colleagues and he was given more opportunities to work on the harder dossiers.
Though the skepticism was not palpable, Pirinski’s experience in the European Parliament mirrors the infamous East-West divide across Europe. As MEPs come together to work towards common European goals, values, and the future of the EU, eliminating skepticism begins in institutions in order to remain economically, territorially, and socially cohesive. Pirinski felt he had a transformative experience and left as a more effective negotiator. However, he noted that utilization of the full MEP power requires serving for more than one term. Establishing legally binding social policy was Pirinski’s legacy in the European Parliament, opening doors for Bulgarian and other Eastern MEPs to continue to bridge the East-West divide.
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