Mrs. Klara Dobrev, wife of the Hungarian Prime Minister

Mrs. Dobrev, tell us about your connection with Bulgaria?
My mother is of Hungarian descent and she came to Bulgaria for the last year of her studies. She met my father on the beach in August and in December they were already married. And they lived together for 30 years. Unfortunately, my father passed away three years ago.

At home we always spoke Bulgarian, we cooked from Bulgarian recipes, everyone around my father spoke Bulgarian. In the last 3 years I lack practice because I do not use the language much. I speak Bulgarian well but I have never been good in writing, except when I was a young girl writing letters to my father.

How often do you come to Bulgaria?
Now I am trying to come once or twice a year. While my father lived, of course, we came more often. I have relatives here – my aunt and cousin live in Sofia. I want my children to have a connection with their second cousins, but naturally it will not be as strong as the one I have with my cousin because we have been brought up together. But it is important for them to sense the aura, to feel that they have something Bulgarian in them.

Do you maintain contacts with Bulgarians in Hungary?
I maintain contacts with the Bulgarian Ambassador in Hungary and with his wife, who are very nice people. There are many Bulgarians living in Hungary and I try to get in touch with some of them – I attend some of the cultural events organized there, but not as often as I would like to.

The relations between our two countries have always been fruitful and positive. This priceless capital is a wonderful starting point for the development of closer contacts within the framework of the European Union. Would you characterize the Bulgarians as Europeans?
Historically, Bulgaria and Hungary have a big fallback in the economical and social areas. Both countries have a GDP growth, higher than the European average. We have a historical and unique chance to catch up. However, I believe the most important attribute is that a country and its citizens have self-confidence and pride. Bulgarians have a lot to be proud of.

How can you contribute informally so that the broad Hungarian public can learn more about Bulgaria’s beauties, about the hospitality and the warmness of the Bulgarian people?
Hungary has a large Bulgarian community. People whose parents moved decades or even centuries ago still keep their language and culture, they keep their tradition. They, together with myself, we are all “ambassadors” of Bulgaria.

It is wonderful that the Bulgarian community in Hungary enjoys great respect and has not forsaken their roots. Do you personally invest efforts in the mutual acquaintance of our two cultures?
I hope I do, because lately, when I give interviews about my personal life, about my husband, about how we live, Bulgaria and the Bulgarians are often mentioned. The Hungarians are still nostalgic for the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, because in socialist times this was the best place they could travel to. I notice that in the last couple of years more and more Hungarians travel to your country and the Hungarians themselves have a very positive attitude to the Bulgarians, because you are really nice people. Nothing in the world is better than to be a guest in Bulgaria.

For us, the Hungarians, Lake Balaton is a preferred place – this is the Hungarian Black Sea coast as we call it. It is the biggest lake in Central Europe and on Hungary’s territory. But when they asked my father about it, he answered that for someone who knows the sea, Balaton is not so impressive. But to us it is very important. I met my husband there – we met and soon we started to live together. This happened 10 years ago.

Which are your favorite places in Bulgaria and which places do you visit more often?
I love coming here and I have grown up here. In the summer my father used to take us to the seaside – Sozopol, Varna, Zlatni Piasatzi. Now when we come here, we usually stay in Sofia. I tried to stir my husband’s interest showing him the Rila Monastery. I want to take him someplace else in the mountains – to Elena for example, because we have roots there.

How do you feel as prime minister's wife? Do you have enough freedom, opportunities and time to do the things you reckon important and useful for your personal development?
Of course, the world around us changed a lot in the last three months. The things I view important and even crucial are valid for Bulgaria, too. For example, it is very sad that in Hungary the average life expectancy is not high, people are often ill. I see the same problems in Bulgaria. And this does not depend on the doctors but on the life we lead, on what we eat and how we eat it. It is crucial to pay more attention to children, because their way of life depends on us. And this is not only a matter of money – it is about habits and customs. In Hungary a year and a half ago, we launched a program aimed at changing the way of life, at increasing the life expectancy and reducing the disease rates. In the last months I had a chance to support the activities of the people working in this particular field.

Juliana Tomova