site.btaMinistry for Bulgarian EU Presidency Reacts to Fake News about Minister Pavlova

Sofia, March 6 (BTA) - The Ministry for the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU Tuesday issued a position on fake news circulated in the last days involving Minister Liliyana Pavlova and undermining the prestige of the institution she represents.

In the last days, Minister Pavlova has been a victim of a series of fake news containing fabricated quotes from events she has not attended, the position reads. Also, a completely fake news article has been circulated on the Internet claiming that she has said: "They work abroad because they are greedy; the salaries in Bulgaria are not bad!". These publications, which provide no facts and specifics, are circulated by a group of websites with unclear ownership. All of Pavlova's statements and participations in events are public and covered in press releases on the websites of her ministry and the Bulgarian EU Council Presidency and on social media.

"I have never made and would never make such a degrading statement, least of all about my compatriots," Pavlova said, as quoted by her ministry. "I know that the choice in life of every single one of these Bulgarians to leave the country in the name of a better future for their children is difficult and worthy of respect," she went on to say. In Pavlova's words, she is aware that sometimes readers find it difficult to distinguish between the truth and the well-manipulated suggestion, and quoted data showing that 80 per cent of people are worried that they cannot distinguish between fake and real news.