Directors and scientists from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences expressed outrage Thursday at the government's attitude to the institution and to the overall support of research in Bulgaria.

Thursday they gave a press conference devoted to risks for Bulgaria from underfunding key areas in which the Academy services the state, such as seismological, hydrological, environmental and weather monitoring.

Researchers reminded that the government systematically fails to make required payments from the state budget to the Academy of Science, in spite of the fact that the budget of the Academy has been drastically reduced.

Many institutes have reduced researchers' salaries 20-50%, many workers have to reduce their working hours or go on unpaid leave in order to save expenses.

The head of the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, part of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, stated that in spite of the fact that the Institute offers various crucial services to the Bulgarian state, payments are still falling behind.

Nuclear physicists similarly complained that the government fails to perform on financial commitments to key projects.

Scientists stated that the government's actions have reduced the Academy on its knees and severely criticized absence of communication, threatening protests in September should the situation persist.

In June the Bulgarian Academy of Science implemented a reform merging many of its institutes in order to optimize its structure and spending.

In May protests staged by researchers prevented a radical reform proposal which would have in effect dissolved Bulgaria's oldest and best research institution by eliminating its central management and put its institutes under the authority of the Ministry of Education.

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