Inside Bulgaria's Easter Celebrations: Traditions Passed Through Generations
Today marks the joyous celebration of Easter, one of the most significant holidays in the Orthodox Christian calendar.
Bulgaria's members of parliament have agreed, though reluctantly, to extend the freeze on their salaries that expired at the beginning of 2012.
The motion, tabled by the ruling GERB party, was approved by 133 MPs, three voted against and one abstained.
It did not pass without a bit of drama, however.
"I know the people will be happy if the members of their parliament go to work bare-footed and with chains around their necks," Assen Agov, a right-wing MP, fumed from the rostrum.
In 2011 Bulgarian MPs had their salaries frozen, even though per statute they equals three times the average monthly salary in the country's public sector for the last month of the latest quarter.
MPs had nonetheless decided that in view of economic and financial hardships experienced by Bulgaria, they will freeze their salaries to 2009 levels.
The moratorium however had expired at the beginning of 2012, raising fears that MP salaries might be automatically indexed again.
The average salary in December 2011 was BGN 853, according to latest data of the statistics office.
That means that MPs, whose fixed salaries range between BGN 2 196 and BGN 2 259, would add an extra BGN 360 each month, regardless of the numerous bonuses they get.
Internet formus and media were indignant at what they saw as a stealthy self-serving move on the part of local MPs, who are famous for non-attending parliamentary sessions.
For almost a decade already the black list has been topped by the leader of the ethnic Movement for Rights and Freedoms Ahmed Dogan, who attended no more than ten parliamentary sessions over a period of four years.
The current parliament, which held its first session at the beginning of July 2009 with the center-right GERB party making up 116 MPs in the 240-seat unicameral national assembly, vowed to put an end to the vicious job-skipping practice, but to no avail.
Members of Bulgarian parliament have always had the habit of going after their private business instead of working in the plenary hall and obviously have no intention to shake it off.
We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!
I feel no moral guilt towards anyone. This was stated by Kiril Petkov, answering a question whether he would apologize to the Bulgarian people for violating the Constitution.
Head of the Military Medical Academy (MMA) Major General Prof.
The Ministry of Finance has revised its autumn forecast for economic development.
Bulgarian police arrested a Russian citizen and two Lithuanians on suspicion of exporting “sensitive information” from the Arsenal military plant in Kazanlak.
The government has changed its order requiring state-owned companies to pay a dividend to the budget.
UN Happiness Report: Bulgaria's Astonishing Leap in Rankings
Bulgaria: 3 Regions With Lowest Life Expectancy - EU Report 2022