„For us, support for the oldest people during the bright Christian holidays is a traditional, consistent and principled policy during all years.“ This was stated by BSP leader Cornelia Ninova during the discussion in the National Assembly of the Easter pension allowances.
According to her, the place for this debate was during the adoption of the 2024 budget, when the BSP insisted on this type of policy, but it was not adopted.
„Today I would like to consider the arguments against what we are proposing - BGN 100 for all pensioners up to the poverty threshold of BGN 526 and BGN 50 for everyone else”, Ninova said and indicated:
“First - it was a pre-election prank. False. March 10, 2015: Decree of the MC - 40 BGN Easter supplement. There are no elections. March 22, 2016 - BGN 40. There are no elections. March 14, 2017 - also. March 30, 2018 - ditto. During all these years it was BGN 40: March 26, 2019, March 31, 2020, April 5, 2022.
And I stop here. April 5, 2022 - decision for BGN 70 for each pensioner. You must have forgotten, but during that time BSP participated in the government. And now my question is to PP-DB, who are against giving Easter allowances today: How could we then, in the biggest crisis, at the beginning of the war, energy crisis and post covid situation – to provide BGN 142,888,760, to pay it to all pensioners, as we are now proposing from the BSP, and to end the year with a deficit of less than 3%?“, she pointed out.
And he also asked: “What is the difference between all these years in your statement today that this is pre-election and there is no money. The difference is one – BSP participated in the government and when we participate in power, we prove that
what we talk – we do it. The Ministry of Social Policy was managed by Georgi Gjokov, the economy was managed by BSP and we were in first place in terms of industrial growth in Europe and provided money for social spending. And now we are behind the 15th place in terms of industrial production and economic growth in Europe and you claim that there is no money for these supplements.“
She asked the second question, namely the opposition of the permanent pension increase with the “Swiss rule” of the one-off Easter allowances.
„And during all these years that I have listed, the “Swiss rule” also applied, and there were also Easter allowances. And in 2022, when we were in management and in charge of these sectors – there was BGN 70 for all pensioners“, stressed Cornelia Ninova.
“Here is the big question of priorities in politics. Some set their sights on highway construction, others – military spending, third – anything else. For us, fighting poverty, increasing incomes, fighting inequalities and compensating people for high inflation is an absolute priority. Because prices in stores are rising equally for everyone, but the elderly suffer the most. And especially those with the lowest pensions“, Ninova was categorical.
The leader of the BSP addressed the PP-DB with a retort: “Can you stop running around like tompalis in politics for at least 24 hours? I showed you the decision of the cabinet in which we participated together. I also made a reference – you all pressed the green button then, you gave passionate speeches about how pensioners should be helped. Now why is it the other way around? You rode the banner of leftist politics, declared yourself a social party, stole the entire BSP program, took credit for the increase for pensioners. And now you're telling me the exact opposite. Give a meaningful argument – why.“