National Protest by Medical Professionals: They Demand Higher Pay

Healthcare professionals across the country on December 10 staged protests demanding higher wages and public funding for outpatient care for people with chronic illnesses.

The demonstration was sparked by the absence of allocated funds in the 2026 draft budget to ensure a minimum starting salary of €1,550 for healthcare specialists.

Although €100 million from European programmes was promised after yesterday’s Budget Committee meeting, protesters say there is still no clarity on the exact amount or how the funds will be distributed.

“Different institutions are promising different figures – one says €100 million, another €30,000 – and it remains unclear what will actually happen in our country. That is why we want dialogue between the institutions and a consistent state policy to raise incomes,” said Mariana Shiyakovа, chair of the Sofia City Regional College of the Bulgarian Association of Healthcare Professionals.

Photos by BGNES

“I support my colleagues – the healthcare professionals – in their demand for fair pay. Without nurses, the healthcare system is doomed.”

“In five years, there may quite literally be no one left to care for patients, no quality healthcare services at all. Society needs to understand this,” commented Albena Boneva, Chief Nurse at Aleksandrovska University Hospital.