The garbage crisis in Sofia is more than a challenge, but how will we get through it… Maya Alexandrova, a member of the Executive Council of Unrepentant Bulgaria, speaks to FACT.
- Ms. Aleksandova, the “topic“ of the “Lyulin“ neighborhood has been exciting you for many years. How is life in the neighborhood today, when we have a garbage crisis?
- “Lyulin“ is more than a neighborhood. It is as big as several regional cities put together. It is no coincidence that it is the center of the 25th MIR – the leadership district. I say this so that the political significance and scale of the place, which is home to about 250,000 people, is understood. Otherwise, for me it is my home, for my family.
The last few days have been difficult, especially for the people who live right next to the garbage containers. We organized ourselves and started helping to collect the garbage, with priority given to those in front of schools, kindergartens, playgrounds. People come, want to help, talk to us. I hope that after we manage to clean up the “Lyulin“ quarter, we will also start cleaning up the political garbage in the country. A slogan that has already flooded social networks and ordinary conversations.
- Why did this crisis come to this? Since last year, municipal councilors have been warning that many contracts are expiring. What has not been done to date to “extinguish“ the garbage crisis urgently?
- These are big interests. Obviously unclean. We have an elected mayor from one party (Terziev) and an economic majority from GERB-SDF, BSP, ITN, the breakaways from “Vazrazhdane“, VMRO. The economic majority is the same as the government. They are at war with the mayor. That's why they arranged a transport strike for him. Then Borisov ended it for him, without the demands being met. With garbage, the model is the same - they create a problem and then politely want to solve it for him. Of course, Terziev is also to blame - he wastes time, he is indecisive, he is wandering, his party last year was in a “assembly“ with GERB and DPS, which blocked him in Sofia. In general, a series of things for the perfect storm. However, the stakes are now the lives and health of millions of people - of these corruption-mafia games.
- However, it turned out that people care in what environment they will live and showed enviable cohesion and organization. It was the same with the transport strike. Volunteerism and unity of mind - is that what saves the situation and Mayor Terziev…
- Yes, thousands of volunteers saved the neighborhoods in the first days. Key help in a difficult moment. Specifically in “Lyulin“ people from other neighborhoods came to help. Our former deputies Kornelia Ninova, Kaloyan Metodiev were on the ground and cleaned, while the current ones took cover. And they are leaders and should have been on the ground. Boyko Borisov, Yordanka Fandakova, Atanas Zafirov, Kostadin Kostadinov, Slavi Trifonov, Hristo Petrov (Itso Hazarta) were elected from our neighborhood… They neither showed up nor said a word, they did not send at least one official car, one package of sacks. Nothing! Zero. In such moments you can see who is who. This was very useful in this crisis. Yes see who is on the ground when people have a real need. I hope everyone will draw their own conclusions.
- The issue of garbage is big, there are many interests, a lot of money is at stake. We have also seen burned trucks. How will we get out of the situation…
- First by strengthening the municipal enterprise “Sofekostroy“. It is clear that in crises it is very important to have municipal and state instruments to balance monopoly and mafia structures. They should take over the cleaning until a general decision is made - a municipal company or private companies.
With this economic majority in the SOS, we are waiting for two years of misery until the new elections.
It will be schemes, tricks, until the people of Sofia get fed up and dig up this municipal council. It is best to dissolve it and have new elections for municipal councilors in Sofia. These only produce crises, scandals.
- What is the role of the BSP in the Sofia municipal council? They are part of the so-called “economic majority“, but what do you see in their actions and behavior?
- For years they have been serving GERB in Sofia Municipality and trading votes. Someone should associate them with something positive, meaningful, some kind of politics… Besides the fact that they were internal opposition and coup plotters against Ninova for years. Journalistic investigations have come out about how, in order to have certain votes, they direct people to certain law firms. One likes to drive “Maserati“, another likes to drink since morning. Degraded work.
Individually they do not fight corruption, but feed on it together with others.
This economic majority is a convenient alliance between supposedly different parties, which share the appetizing portions of the municipal budget and take fat commissions from shady deals.
And let me ask the so-called leftists: why did you vote for a basic salary of 6,500 leva for two days of work a month?
Is this social? Is there such a ratio of work - time, elected office and income per capita anywhere else in Europe? This is the most impudent municipal council in our recent history.
- In „Lyulin“ they don't have problems with the heating, but in „Druzhba“ they do. And it's starting to get cold. Why is the heating still a huge problem…
- Because „Toplofikatsiya-Sofia“ is draining. Because they replaced the board with obedient party ladybugs. And no one can explain what's going on there. Why do they start renovations in the fall? In West Sofia we are covered in garbage, and in the east it's freezing. This is what the rule of the economic majority has brought us. Turning off the heating just before winter is the height of carelessness! A policy of governance without thought for the people, but only for another scheme or scam - urgent repairs, but for whom? People ask: why right now, and not in the summer? No one can say. Because crisis overshadows crisis.
- Health Minister Silvi Kirilov said a few days ago that the Bulgarian health system does not rely on young doctors. How do you take his words…
- I take them personally. My daughter is a medical student. She works shifts in the most difficult wards, in intensive care and neurosurgery. She does not sleep at night. This minister is an impudent person. And who does the health system rely on, Mr. Minister, if not on the young? On the officials, the cronies and the party ladybugs? This is the same as Toshko Yordanov, who directly expelled them from Bulgaria. These two most unscrupulously told an entire generation of young doctors: “We don't need you!” And then we wonder why our children are fleeing Bulgaria. Who are you and what right do you have to expel our children from Bulgaria? Wretches and destroyers of the future of Bulgaria - these are the current rulers! Excuse the emotional tone, but I am sincerely outraged and personally affected by their outrages.
- And the young doctors continue with their protests. Do you expect a solution to be found?
- This is not a protest for money. This is an attempt to keep the light in the hospital room when you need it most. This is a protest for the future in Bulgaria. A protest for tomorrow! And yes, there is a solution, but not with this government. For half a year, young doctors have been waiting for solutions, waiting for justice, and receiving empty promises. They are being lied to at meetings. Zafirov brazenly lied to them and never showed up for a meeting again. The Minister of Health is swindling them. And what have the government done during this time? They increased their own salaries, bought new cars - the parliament took as many as 70 new limousines, they went on excursions. Otherwise there would be no money for doctors, for social policy, for water... I don't remember such a brazen government. Young doctors don't want miracles. They want the state that trained them not to chase them away with miserable salaries and unbearable working conditions, they want a chance to develop their careers and treat here in Bulgaria. No one is interested in heading to Terminal 2.