Judicial System Employees Protested Against Planned 10% Cuts

Employees from Bulgaria's judicial system on July 2 staged a symbolic protest in Plovdiv against the government's plans to cut their operating budgets by 10%.

They called for a preliminary analysis of the judicial system rather than across-the-board staff reductions. They said they opposed the proposed cuts and budget restrictions affecting the judicial administration, warning that they could lead to delays in court proceedings and administrative errors.

Tsvetelina Dimenova, employee at the Plovdiv Court of Appeal: "If we did not receive the additional pay for years of service, our salaries would be close to the minimum wage. Many of our colleagues who are just starting work really begin on very, very low salaries."

Tsveta Tacheva, Association of the Administration in the Judicial Authorities: "We are real people with real lives."

Viktor Chorbadzhiyski, judicial assistant at the Plovdiv Court of Appeal: "We are not entirely opposed to judicial reform. We know it is necessary because it also affects our work. But implementing it in the way currently being proposed will not only fail to solve the problems – on the contrary, it will make them worse."