The Bulgarian government is coming under increasing pressure after doctors, policemen, and students announced this week that they plant to take to the streets to protest against government policies.
20 Oct 2010 / 02:21
Boryana Dzhambazova
Zhivko Georgiev, a sociologist with the Gallup International, told Balkan Insight that the potential wave of protests could certainly lead to a drop in the government's ratings and voters' confidence.
Zhivko Georgiev, a sociologist with the Gallup International, told Balkan Insight that the potential wave of protests could certainly lead to a drop in the government's ratings and voters' confidence.
"This is definitely undermining the cabinet's position," he said, adding that now it would more difficult for the state to carry out reforms.
He described the current situation as the first major challenge from the general public that the centre-right government of Boyko Borisov has faced.
On Tuesday doctors said they had torn up an agreement signed previously with the government and warned that they’re ready to stage rallies because the government had failed to keep its promises.
On Tuesday doctors said they had torn up an agreement signed previously with the government and warned that they’re ready to stage rallies because the government had failed to keep its promises.
Tsvetan Raichinov, the head of the Bulgarian Medical Association, publicly showed the torn document, saying that the state wouldn’t meet the doctors' demands, as it had pledged to do earlier. “The agreement’s aim was just to stop our protest,” he said.
Two weeks ago Bulgarian doctors' associations decided to abandon a protest planned for October 15 after they signed an agreement with the government that guaranteed more money for the ailing healthcare sector.
Meanwhile, university deans have demanded additional funding of BGN 24 million (EUR 12 million) for next year in order to cover their expenses and students have threatened to go on strike if the demands are not met. Due to the this year’s cuts in their budgets some colleges could be forced to cancel classes for a month, as the cutbacks mean there is not even enough funding to pay electricity bills.
On Tuesday trade unions, which two weeks ago managed to gather thousands of demonstrators to protest against several controversial changes in the pension law, discussed their plans to strike again.
The unions previously backed the state’s initial intention to raise the social security burden by 3 per cent, but they are not pleased with new plans to change that figure to 1.8 per cent.
The unions previously backed the state’s initial intention to raise the social security burden by 3 per cent, but they are not pleased with new plans to change that figure to 1.8 per cent.
Earlier this week policemen also announced they’re ready to stage rallies, demanding more money and better work conditions.
Since it took office in July 2009, Borisov's government has generally enjoyed strong voter support. This is the first time it has come up against such broad public discontent.
Both opposition parties and local observers have criticised the cabinet for failing to carry out long-awaited reforms in the debt-ridden health care, pension and higher education systems. Bulgaria, the poorest EU member state, is still struggling to escape the grip of recession.
balkan insight
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