"To think that the government has a heart is like thinking that an alcoholic has two livers – it is impossible. The fight for sympathy, which is supposed to hide political perversion, always passes."
This was stated by Prof. Petar Stojanovic on the air of the program "This Saturday" on bTV. His comment was provoked by the decision to grant Christmas supplements of 120 leva for the poorest pensioners – action initiated by GERB leader Boyko Borisov after a touching report about grandmother Milka from the Vratsa village of Gorna Kremena.
The historian made a sharp cut at the situation in which state policy is dictated by momentary emotions and television reports, instead of systemic decisions.
"Who wouldn't be moved by seeing a visibly financially dissatisfied woman or man. However, this is about something bigger - whether the state can provide this money. "Isn't this done on a competitive basis, who will win more in the fight for the voter?", the professor asked rhetorically.
According to him, such behavior, in which politicians compete to see who will be "more handsome and with more defined eyebrows", falls into the category of "what is called classic political piggy".
"When your life is included in the battle for the love of the crowd, you already become part of something else. Unfortunately, modern politics has largely become exactly that," added Stojanovic, quoted by bTV.
Prof. Stojanović drew a historical parallel with practices in Central Europe before and after World War II, where the 13th pension or salary was called "turkey money".
"The money that gives you enough to buy a turkey and its accessories for Christmas", he explained, emphasizing the difference between handouts and real care.
The historian expressed concerns that when it comes to a "national act", there is a risk of indiscriminate distribution of funds, which could bring the state to the brink of bankruptcy. "The point is that there is a point at which one should be able to say "enough" and continue the sentence with the normal word order of a modern politician," he was categorical.
In his analysis of the social situation in our country, Stojanović was extremely pessimistic about the fate of current pensioners. According to him, the transition has shown with its deeds that these people will not leave this world with dignity, despite their work and insurance.
"A large part of Bulgarian elderly people, despite the exceptional skill of Bulgarians to survive, very often live in an undignified deprivation. I think this will not be able to change. They are doomed generations", the professor stated.
He also made a comparison with the model in the West, where the concept of "grandmother looking after a grandchild" is unknown. "In France, the grandmother has a lover, in Germany, the grandmother has a friendly circle of four other active grandmothers", Stoyanovich gave as an example, illustrating the gap between the active life of European pensioners and the existence of Bulgarians, often reduced to survival and caring for grandchildren.