"No government has had the courage to tell people they need to retrain . They all wash their hands of Brussels”, says the report of ARTE, dedicated to Bulgaria's difficult parting with coal mining.
"Slowly but surely, Bulgaria is making a transition,", noted ARTE television in its report. It is most noticeable in terms of energy - for a long time the country produced its electricity mainly through coal, but today it increasingly relies on nuclear power. As of 2009, half of the electricity was produced by thermal power plants, and 35% by nuclear power plants, recalls author Fanny Lepine. 14 years later - in 2023 - the ratio is already different: coal energy is less than 30% of the total production, and nuclear energy - 40%.
The European Union and the Green Deal are perceived as a threat
Bulgaria has made a commitment in Brussels to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 40% by 2026. This goal is almost impossible, ARTE reports, because the Bulgarian economy is highly dependent on coal - especially in the areas around Pernik, Kyustendil and Stara Zagora.
The ARTE reporter visits the mine complex “Maritsa Iztok“ and notes that it is scheduled to be closed. Bulgaria's decision to close the mines and power plants located near Stara Zagora causes misunderstanding and anger among the local people, Lepine also says. Nearly 10,000 jobs are at risk.
People in the region are angry
ARTE recalls the protests of miners and energy workers last year, which blocked major road arteries in Bulgaria. The state has promised investments of nearly 500 million euros to save jobs – in other words to subsidize the coal industry. The money somewhat calmed the anger, but the anxiety remained, says Lepine.
Television meets us with Martin Gospodinov, who works as a mechanic in a mine “Troyanovo Sever” since 13 years. Gospodinov was the only one who agreed to talk to us”, says the ARTE reporter and explains: “Many here think that the EU is the one who ordered the closure of the plants, and the Green Deal is a thorn in their side”.
Like many others, Gospodinov believes that the region is not ready for the energy transition and is too dependent on coal. Therefore, he hopes the so-called Green deal to be renegotiated. “Families here are engaged in coal mining – almost every second person in the region is connected to this industry”, he says.
Bulgarian politicians are to blame
Mayor Zhivko Todorov does not blame Brussels for the expected measures. According to him, the fault lies with the Bulgarian politicians. He says to ARTE that no government has had the courage to prepare people for the fact that they have to retrain. Instead, they wash their hands of Brussels.
"People are angry because the state has not explained to them what the ecological transition in Bulgaria will look like," says Todorov in the ARTE report. Bulgaria is losing money by delaying the necessary decisions on coal mining, notes Fanny Lepine. And currently €1.5 billion (from the Recovery and Resilience Plan - b.r.) is blocked until the government presents a convincing plan to close the coal industry.
„When you talk to people in Stara Zagora and the region, 95% of them will tell you that they do not see a real threat in climate change,” says eco-expert Georgi Stefanov. “They see coal resources as a national treasure, which is true. But no one tells them that here in Bulgaria every year more than 15 thousand people die because of polluted air, and 3,000 people die because we burn coal, he emphasizes.
Difficult political situation
„Here in Bulgaria, the governments have recently failed one after another. The country currently does not have a regular government, says Fanny Lepine at the end of the report. In this situation, it is very difficult to implement unpopular measures that will bind the country for years to come, she summarizes.