56th iMEP Sofia 2022

The start of something truly beautiful! A conference that made us feel like the MEP was really back after the Covid-19 pandemic! A session that embodied the spirit of solidarity and friendship and transcended beyond nations and languages! A session that felt like home.

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The 56th international session of the Model European Parliament that took place in November of 2022 in Sofia, Bulgaria was a one-of-a-kind conference - a beautiful plateau of culture, music, history, food, hospitality and friendship, perfectly partnered with heated debates, restless hours of committee work, hotel lobby speech preparations, suits, ties and heels all in unison with the ever-present vibe of Sofia - nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains, our vibrant capital perfectly blends history, culture, and modernity, making it an inspiring setting for any conference.

As one of Europe’s oldest cities, Sofia’s motto “Grows, but does not age” rings true in its mix of ancient Roman ruins, Ottoman mosques, and elegant modern architecture.

Our guests from 20 countries were able to enjoy all the landmarks of the city, starting from the National Museum of History, built at the very foot of Mount Vitosha, where they took part in ice-breaker games designed by the students of First English Language School. More on the hosts can be read below.

Apart from a dive into Bulgaria's rich history on the first day of the session delegates also enjoyed their first committee meetings and laid the foundations of their work for the following days.

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The morning of November 14th, day 2 of the session, was a memorable one, as it hosted the Opening Ceremony of the session. Comfortably seated in the Central Military Club in the heart of Sofia, all delegations, teachers, coordinators and guests paid tribute to the anthems of Bulgaria and the EU. Speeches followed - from Ms. Yordanka Fandakova, Mayor of Sofia, Mr. Teodor Stoychev, Head of the European Parliament Liaison Office in Sofia, Presidents and Vice-presidents of the session, both Bulgarian and foreign, Mr. Gottfried Oehl, Chairman of MEP Europe, and the Heads of delegations of participating countries, as per usual.

The day went on with fruitful committee meetings, where delegates worked on writing resolutions on some of the most prominent social, economic, political and ecological issues the EU faces (the very essence of the MEP), embassy visits for most of the delegations and the Cultural Night - an event organised by the Student Council and student clubs of First English Language School. Many took part - the school orchestra, the cheerleading team, the sing group, the rock band, as well as guests who showed the authentic and preserved throughout centuries Bulgarian folk singing and bagpipe music.

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Day 3, November 15th, looked alike - besides MEP business as usual, two receptions took place - for teachers and coordinators, hosted by Ms. Fandakova, Mayor of Sofia, and for the Presidency, Committee Presidents and Heads of delegations, by Mr. Stoychev, Head of the EP Liaison Office in Sofia. The following photos are from the committee meetings and the coffee breaks in between them.

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November 16th was just as eventful, as participants visited the city of Plovdiv, second most populated in the country and oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe! Rich in history and landmarks and a crossroad of civilisations and religions, it welcomed the mammoth of a group with sun and natural beauty. In no time, lobbying began at Language School Plovdiv, where local students welcomed their peers from all across Europe who exchanged ideas and gathered support for their individual propositions to amend the resolutions prepared in the previous 2 days before the Plenary Session.

Yes, the Plenary Session - the culmination of any MEP conference. Taking place in the National Assembly of Bulgaria across 2 whole days, it was a battleground of visions for the future of Europe, a stage for inspiring speeches and oratory skills, applause, bated breath, and even a few tears. In fact, it was exactly what the MEP feels like - a breathtaking plateau of emotions that leaves a mark for long.

Delegates aged 16 to 20 took the seats of Bulgarian Members of Parliament in a very successful attempt to understand how democracy, peace, human dignity and respect for human rights, economic stability and social progress are being built and protected within the most successful political project of humankind, the European Union. Speakers at the Closing Ceremony that followed were Bulgarian Member of the European Parliament Mr. Petar Vitanov, representatives from both the Ministry of Economy and Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, as well as members of the Presidency, Mr. Oehl, Chairman of MEP Europe and Ms. Nelly Petrova, National Coordinator of the MEP for Bulgaria and Headmaster of First English Language School.

As emotional as it was, the Closing Ceremony was nothing compared to the farewell party that same night that left some of us in tears. Tears of happiness, looking back at a week of passion, friendship, music and love, but also tears of sadness, as the so-called MEPression (MEP depression) was starting to settle in.

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Session Recap:

• Day 1: Visit of the National Museum of History, team-building games and committee meetings

• Day 2: Opening Ceremony, committee meetings, embassy visits, club night

• Day 3: Committee meetings, reception for teachers, coordinators, members of Presidency and HoDs, embassy visits

• Day 4: Day trip to Plovdiv, lobbying

• Day 5: Plenary Session, cultural night

• Day 6: Plenary Session, Closing Ceremony, farewell party

Delegations:

• EU Member States: Austria, Bulgaria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, France, Finland, Hellas (Greece), Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Slovakia, Sweden

• guest countries: Norway and The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The Bulgarian delegation consisted of 5 members: Mila Sabcheva, Preslava Petrova, Elena Hristova, Emma Ananieva and Marko Semov, as well as the Committee Presidents Iveta Mladenova and Lyuboslav Marchovski.

Members of the Presidency: Boris Angelov (BG), Karina Tsvetkova (BG), Paula Pongratz (AT), Kyriaki Pantazi (GR), Fredrik Haegerstrand (SE).

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Organisers:

The organising team of the 56th iMEP is one of dedicated teachers, staff and students in First English Language School. Being the host school since 2007 and Ms. Nelly Petrova as Headmaster and National Coordinator of the MEP (until 2024), it has been setting standards for teaching and educational practices, ranking in the top 10 of high schools in the country almost every year since its establishment in 1958.

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Credit goes to:

• Ms. Nelly Petrova, Headmaster of FELS

• Teachers and staff of FELS: Ms. Svetoslava Savova, Ms. Pavleta Sungurova, Ms. Iskra Ploshtakova, Ms. Tanya Bogdanova, Ms. Evgenia Cherneva, Ms. Teodora Nikolaeva, Mr. Martin Damyanov, Mr. Slav Petkov, Mr. Georgi Georgiev, Mr. Yasen Ivanov

• The talented photographers: Mimi Garneva, Alisa Krusteva, Dimitar Bozhinov, who's work and contacts you can check out on out Creators page.

****PHOTOS OF PHOTOGRAPHERS

• The dedicated and tireless volunteers: Iva Petkova, Sofia Valkova, Emma Ananieva, Ema Dimitrova, Inna Lyubenova, Raya Gevezova, Velina Andonova, Vyara Sabeva, Gabriela Georgieva, Aleksandra Kostova, Danislava Georgieva, Beloslava Tencheva, Raya Gospodinova, Nikol Koleva, Aleksandra Antonova, Yana Halacheva, Ivana Miladinova, Dimana Vasileva, Sofia Sanchez, Ivaylo Zlatev, Mihail Kraevski, Venelin Paunski, Aleksandar Semkov, Nikolay Zanev, Daniel Dimitrov, Viktor Stefanov, Ivan Petrov, Kristian Todorov, Radoslav Stoyanov, Rosen Hristov, Marko Semov

• The tour guides, members of the “Geography of Tourism” club at FELS

• All members of clubs and students who took part in the cultural night, both on stage and behind it: Radost Tserovska (ballet dancer); Ivana Dimitrova, (Bulgarian folk music singer); the School Orchestra of FELS; the club of national folk dance and choreography “Lira Dance Group”; the Rock Band; “Zelen Domat” newspaper

And all others who took part in creating this masterpiece!

Thank you!

Partners:

• The National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria

• Sofia Municipality and Ms. Yordanka Fandakova, Mayor of Sofia

• European Parliament Liaison Office in Sofia and its Head Mr. Teodor Stoychev

• Language School Plovdiv

• First Investment Bank

***LOGOS OF INSTITUTIONS ROLING