BSP Chairman Krum Zarkov welcomed the government’s decision to withdraw the bill amending the personal assistance legislation. He said the bill had drawn serious criticism because it affected the status, remuneration and working conditions of personal assistants.
“The important thing is that it has been withdrawn. I congratulate the government on finding the strength to withdraw it. There is nothing frightening about withdrawing a bill. It is more frightening to stubbornly refuse to do so,” Zarkov said on the Bulgarian National Television program “More from the Day.”
The withdrawal of the bill was announced following criticism from the opposition and discontent among mothers of children with disabilities. The government said it would prepare a new version after discussions with the mothers. According to the government, the aim is to curb abuses without affecting the rights of people who genuinely need personal assistance.
Zarkov: Political tensions are rising
In the interview, Zarkov also commented on the political situation. In his words, six months after the elections, tensions remain unusually high, despite the formation of a one-party majority of 131 MPs.
“It is not logical for things to be so tense now. Instead, something else is being observed. An escalation,” the BSP chairman said.He also pointed to the outcome of the presidential election, which was won by the candidate supported by the BSP and the government. Zarkov stressed that the BSP had played a visible and significant role in the campaign, but declined to enter into a dispute over which political force had contributed more.
“We did our job and we are proud of it,” he said.
BSP to prepare independently for local elections
Zarkov said that the BSP would act independently in preparing for the next elections, which he believes are most likely to be local. The party will seek left-wing candidates it can support and will prepare its own lists.
He clarified that the specific configurations would depend on the situation in each municipality. However, in his words, the BSP’s main priority at present is not the electoral formula, but internal reform and clarifying the party’s ideological direction.
Zarkov also criticized the draft budget for 2027. According to him, it does not propose any significant change compared with the previous economic policy and does not address the problem of social inequality.
“It is neither the best nor the worst. It is the same,” the BSP chairman said.