Bulgaria’s Police Union strips the Deputy Interior Minister, Pavlin Dimitrov, of their political vote of confidence.

The declaration issued Sunday bases the move on Dimitrov’a Saturday statements that the Union members are people, who do not deal directly with the stressful job of fighting crime, and have the need to fill their free time with union activities.

According to the Police Union, such statements not only undermine 7 000 police officers and hurts their image, but show a deep lack of knowledge and understanding about police union activities and the modern requirements of police management, something they qualify as unacceptable in a country member of the EU in the 21st century.

The Union activists say that beginning December 12 they would not hold talks in any manner and form with Dimitrov as a representative of the Interior’s leadership.

The declaration reminds that one year ago Dimitrov voiced full support for the Union’s just requests, but his beliefs have changed to now say “smoking is harmful for policemen.” (The police officers, who rallied to protest their work conditions and low wages, expressed their discontent by smoking cigarettes.)

The declaration points out that it is time to end the manipulations of public opinion regarding police pay and stresses the fact that Bulgaria remains the only EU country that failed to submit to Eurostat, the statistics office of the EU, information about the number of police employees and their wages.