Cash-strapped Bulgarian Researchers Stage New Protest Rally

On November 1, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences staged a candlelight rally as Bulgaria celebrated Enlighteners Day. Photo by Sofia Photo Agency

Scientists and researchers from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) are staging their latest protest rally Wednesday over budget cuts for 2012.

The downtown Sofia march starts at 2 pm and ends at 3:30 pm in front of the building of the Parliament, which is adjacent to the BAS headquarters.

Researchers appeal to everyone who cares about the future of Bulgarian science to join the march. They demand that the cabinet revises the budget slated for BAS – BGN 54 M and say they need BGN 94-98 M simply to survive.

Several days ago, the BAS management pointed out in the last years the Academy had won funding from EU programs in the amount of BGN 45 M for 627 projects, since Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, and Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, recommended to them to apply for European financing in they need money.

The BAS Chair, Nikola Sabotinov, labeled the budget "a disaster," saying if budget 2012 stays as is, the average monthly salary in the Academy next year would be BGN 478. According to Sabotinov, scientists are now taking unpaid leave for a month and a half to two months over budget cuts this year.

"We don't have money to pay salaries, and we also need funding to maintain our equipment and infrastructure so that we can continue work on a number of international projects," the BAS Chair commented.

On November 1, the Academy staged a candlelight rally as Bulgaria celebrated Enlighteners Day, and researchers chose the date symbolically to protest against what they see as the Bulgarian government's persistent policy to stifle science in the country.

BAS is the oldest Bulgarian institution, founded in 1869.

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