There is no sphere in Bulgaria that is not used for election campaigning. This was stated by the acting Minister of Social Affairs Hasan Ademov during a visit to the municipality of Samuil, Razgrad district. The reason for the visit is the 15 social services operating on the territory of the municipality, which distinguish it as a kind of center of social activities.
In his words, for the first time the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy is actively engaged with the problem, as part of the efforts to guarantee fair elections. Ademov emphasized that this is one of the main priorities of the caretaker government, also outlined by President Iliana Yotova.
“We visited six planned regions in order to prevent practices in which people's livelihood depends on their vote“, the minister said. He announced that reports have already been filed with the prosecutor's office and investigations are underway.
According to Ademov, the most vulnerable are people in difficult social situations, who are more easily subject to manipulation. Among the risk areas, he pointed out social programs such as “Hot Lunch“, the activities of the “Social Assistance“ Directorates, as well as the services of personal assistants.
According to him, procedures are currently underway to reassess people with disabilities, where there is also a risk of interference. According to the department, the connection is made through managers of social services and representatives of local authorities. “This is not an attack on institutions, but on abuses,”, Ademov emphasized.
”If there are no fair elections, there is no trust. The Bulgarian citizen does not trust any institution,” he added and stated that there is evidence of attempted abuses in the distribution of benefits. The Minister of Social Affairs appealed to citizens to report any suspicions of vote manipulation.
Ademov also commented on the progress of the Samuil municipality in the field of social activities: "Over the past 10 years, a small municipality like Samuil with only 267 residents has established itself as an example of the development of social services. This creates the feeling that the state should stand more actively behind such small municipalities."
According to him, the opened class for training personnel for the social sphere in the local school "St. St. Cyril and Methodius" can contribute to limiting depopulation. It gives young people the opportunity to continue their education at Shumen University and to realize themselves professionally, Ademov believes.
"Over 12,800 applications for compensation of 20 euros in connection with the increased fuel prices have been submitted as of 12:00 today", Ademov added. "Today, meetings were held in the Council of Ministers with almost all industry organizations, as well as with social partners, unions and employers", the minister explained regarding the expansion of the package of measures.