site.btaCC Co-Chair Vassilev: Dramatic Increase of Interior Ministry Wages Should Follow Genuine Reforms

Any dramatic increase of wages in the Interior Ministry should follow genuine reforms, Continue the Change co-leader Assen Vassilev said in the corridors of Parliament Friday. He was asked by the press to comment a contemplated wage raise in the sector and his party's position on that.

He denied any Continue the Change support for a significant increase of Interior Ministry wages and called "a lie" a remark by GERB leader Boyko Borissov about that. Borissov said, "This measure - for increasing police officers' wages - was decided together with the colleagues from Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria and Assen Vassilev, years ago."

Vassilev explained that when revisions to the Interior Ministry Act concerning officers' pay, were voted in Parliament in February 2024, Continue the Change's coalition with Democratic Bulgaria cast 52 votes "against" and six MPs abstained, "which makes it a 'no vote'".

"As Finance Minister [for six months in 2022 and 2023], it was my policy not to reduce the appropriations for the Interior Ministry if they cut jobs - and the Interior Ministry has over 4,000 employees of retirement age - which means that they could use the resources to increase pay to those who remained in the system," Vassilev also said.

He added that now wages are increased without reducing the staff or improving the quality of work. "What is more, there was a proposal for increasing the staff of the Border Police even though it was clear that we would be joining Schengen [the border-free travel zone in Europe]. What exactly is Border Police doing at Kulata [the checkpoint on the border with Greece] right now? The border between Bulgaria and Greece now is nothing more than a road sign."

He argued that the Border Police officers should be reduced where IDs and vehicles are no longer stopped for checks.