The topic of state administration is once again in the focus of public attention due to the government's intentions to limit personnel costs and proceed with layoffs. Against this background, trade unions warn that the mechanical reduction of staff numbers could lead to serious problems in institutions that are key to citizens. How many people actually work in state administration, is there an inflated bureaucratic apparatus and what are the real working conditions and salaries in the sector? Kremena Atanasova, chairwoman of the Trade Union of Administrative Employees at the "Podkrepa", spoke to FACTI about these and other issues.
- Ms. Atanasova, the Ministry of Finance insists on limiting personnel costs in the administration. What is the real picture – is there really a bloated administrative apparatus, or is the problem in the uneven distribution of personnel?
- In recent weeks, the topic of salaries in the administration has been on the agenda again. And once again, it is being raised with the sole purpose of manipulating public opinion, by presenting categorically false data regarding the number of employees in the state administration, as well as the salaries received there. What is not said is that there are many unnecessary structures or those that can be consolidated. At the same time, the key structures for the functioning of the state, such as the Employment Agency, the National Social Security Institute, the National Health Insurance Fund, Statistics or the Agency for Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre, are permanently underfunded and do not have enough people to do the enormous work in terms of their volume and responsibility. We can categorically conclude that it is about the uneven distribution of human resources in the administration, and, alas, the same can be said about the distribution of funds for salaries in the administration, and the differences in salaries in different institutions for the same position reach 4-5 times.
- You define the approach of mechanical layoffs as “totally wrong“. What alternative do you propose instead of reducing the staff “by the bucket“?
- We propose to lay off people where this is possible and where this should be done, and in places where workers are already exhausted, to allocate staff numbers for the appointment of additional employees. Think about it - on the basis of what information does the government announce exactly 10% layoffs everywhere? What if somewhere 30% can and should be cut? Or 40%? And in another place the number of employees should be increased by 5%? How are such decisions made? On the basis of what? It is clear that this is an attempt to reduce the deficit, but such an approach can lead to the absolute collapse of extremely important administrative units and any hasty decision in this direction will definitely have a negative impact on society, on all of us.
- How many people are in the budget sector and how many in the state administration?
- According to NSI data as of March 2026, the number of people employed in the state administration (including municipalities, as well as all territorial divisions in the country) is exactly 98,627 people. The number of people employed in the entire budget sector is 602,461, and here, in addition to the state administration, which we have already said is about 98,600, are included teachers, doctors, police officers, firefighters, drivers, post office workers, cultural figures and in general everyone who works in state and municipal enterprises and structures.
“Business“ or rather some of the representatives of the employer organizations are quite deliberately manipulating the data
with the sole purpose of instill division between workers in different spheres. “Divide and rule“ is a familiar tactic since Roman times…
- And the big question - should the state administration pay its own social security contributions. However, let's explain what a civil servant cannot do and how his salary is formed?
- Civil servants not only support paying their own social security contributions, they insist that this happens, and the Trade Union of Administrative Employees “Podkrepa“ has repeatedly insisted on this change. However, it is undeniable that social security contributions must first become part of their social security income and their salaries must be updated so that their net salary is preserved. Anything else would mean a reduction in their already low salaries. When the public space circulates, you see, how many benefits civil servants, and those employed in the administration in general, have, the lack of basic rights for workers and employees there, which any other worker otherwise has.
It is fair to say that the administration also employs people under an employment contract who have deductions for social security and tax.
But neither they nor civil servants are entitled to "class of service". Civil servants are not entitled to food vouchers, are not entitled to work a second job, are not entitled to have a company, are not entitled to any business activity, are not entitled to a collective labor agreement, are not entitled to protection from dismissal…
In fact, the only "privilege" they have is a free funeral. This is the attitude of the state towards its employees. And it should not be like that!
As for salaries and their formation, there is a specificity here too - those working in the administration are entitled to receive only 70% of their salaries monthly and up to 30% in the form of additional remuneration for achieved results (DVPR) quarterly. But this additional remuneration is not guaranteed - it is obtained if there is money and in the amount that there is, and supposedly by law this is essentially part of the salary of every employee in the state administration. Often the DVPR is in the amount of 100 - 150 euros per quarter, which has nothing to do with the bonuses that the “anointed“ in the higher echelons of power receive.
- Often society puts an equal sign between state administration and the budget sector. Where do you think the biggest misunderstanding on this topic is?
- I don't know if there is a misunderstanding, but there is certainly manipulation. It's just that when a lie is repeated 1000 times in the public space, it becomes the truth. I understand people who are not interested in the topic and put an equal sign between the two sectors, but politicians, we - the unions, as well as employer organizations must definitely make a difference. The budget sector is the broader concept that encompasses all organizations financed by the state or municipal budget. The administration is only a small part of it, performing management, regulatory and control functions. The difference is in their role, activity and structure.
- If cuts are made in the state administration, which services for citizens will be the first to feel the negative effect?
- The answer to this question is clear - the units that provide the most frequently used services, both by citizens and businesses, will suffer. These are categorically the National Social Insurance Institution, which grants and pays unemployment, maternity, sick and pension benefits. The Social Assistance Agency - there will be no one to pay benefits, and the season of targeted heating assistance is coming and we must pray to God that there will be no fires, because once again social workers are on the ground around the clock in such disasters. The Employment Agency will literally not be able to serve the tens of thousands of unemployed people, it will not be able to import workers from third countries for business, which may be the only positive thing, because we will stop importing illegal workers from countries where the salary is two dollars a day. I can't imagine what will happen if the Cadastre and the Registry Agency cannot perform their functions and just imagine how the real estate market stops working. We can't imagine the amount of damage that will occur. And if the municipalities are unable to perform their functions, then we will actually be in a situation of anarchy.
- Are there administrations that really need structural reforms and optimization, or do you think the problem is more in the lack of digitalization and modernization?
- There definitely are. There are a number of administrations that either need to be closed or merged. It is not normal to have separate administrative structures with 10 employees, let's say, but then there is an executive director, one or two directors of directorates, chiefs, and it happens that there are actually no employees, but only bosses. One such example is the Fiscal Council, whose only job is to hold meetings and give recommendations. There, for example, the salary of the chairman and members of the council is 3 average salaries for the budget sector plus 3 minimum salaries for each meeting held, and the council itself has voted and ensured the holding of at least 3 meetings per month. This means that they receive 3 average salaries once, and separately from that, 9 minimum salaries each month, or a little over 10,000 euros. I am sure that we could deprive ourselves of the “valuable” advice from the Fiscal Council, don't you think?
Of course, the level of digitalization and modernization is still not what we would like, but there are already a number of administrations that offer full-fledged electronic services. But what we have to say is that it is not only a matter of digitalizing the administrations themselves, but also the population of the country, because a large part of the people still do not feel ready and confident in using online services, and efforts must be made in this direction.
- In recent years, the union has repeatedly raised the issue of low pay in a number of state structures. Isn't it paradoxical to talk about staff shortages and layoffs at the same time?
- It is more than paradoxical, but there is a very simple reason for this. When funds are allocated for salary increases in the state administration, alas, they are not allocated specifically where they are most needed, but are allocated 10% everywhere. Agencies and individual units with low salaries also receive a low increase, while those whose salaries are higher receive a higher increase, respectively, and in this way the scissors open even more. Because 10% per 1,000 euros is one thing, 10% per 3,500 euros is quite another. In this regard, we insist on a new model of pay in the state administration – equal or approximately equal salaries by position, restoration of "class of service", as well as additional remuneration under clear and objective criteria.
- Which administrations are most at risk of losing expert capacity if mass layoffs are implemented in the coming months?
- These are the structures in which there is currently a shortage of personnel - NSSI, Health Fund, Statistics, Social Assistance Agency, Employment Agency, Registry, Cadastre, Labor Inspectorate... And in general, the administrations directly involved in the care and service of citizens and businesses. I really hope that the government will show some sense and not even think about making cuts there, because then citizens will have to submit their applications for pensions and benefits directly on the yellow paving stones, in front of the Council of Ministers.
- Do you see a risk that some of the functions of the state will gradually be outsourced to external contractors and consultants, if the administration is seriously reduced, and won't this ultimately cost taxpayers more?
- After politicians “outsourced“ our pensions, through the introduction of absolutely harmful private pension funds, after hospitals have become commercial companies, and patients in ATMs, after cabinets in the past outsourced the management of nursing homes and for a decade we have been observing these "houses of horrors" in which our elderly fellow citizens are dying, I would not be surprised if they "outsource" the state administration as well. Or rather the appetizing part of it. And at the moment there are voices that claim that then everything will be "flowers and roses". Anyone who thinks it would be great to have an outside company draw up a sketch or register their property should know that they will pay dearly and excessively for this, and if you have even a shred of doubt, you should just look at our healthcare system and understand that the only goal of any business is to make a profit, in this case, it will profit on the backs of each and every one of us.
- How do you view the criticism that the state administration is too large, given that many of your members claim that they are working with a chronic shortage of personnel?
- I have already shared that the data is being manipulated quite deliberately. The administration in Bulgaria is about the average for Europe, but you will not hear this statistic from Domuschiev and company. There is a need to restructure and strengthen the structures, which are currently burdened with a huge number of activities, and at the same time there are not enough people there. Salaries in these units are in the order of 800-900 euros and there are not even any people willing to work there. But it is quite understandable, this is an insulting salary for a person with a higher education who should serve the state and protect the state and public interest.