Bulgarian Pensioner Files Discrimination Complaint against ex-PM

Vangel Dimanov, pensioner from the western village of Yardzhilovtsi, submitted a complaint with Bulgaria's Commission on Protection against Discrimination against the statement of Borisov that pensioners had eaten up the country's fiscal reserve. Photo by

A Bulgarian pensioner has filed a complaint against a discriminatory statement of former Prime Minster Boyko Borisov.

Vangel Dimanov, pensioner from the western village of Yardzhilovtsi, submitted a complaint with Bulgaria's Commission on Protection against Discrimination against the statement of Boyko Borisov that pensioners had eaten up the country's fiscal reserve.

Diamanov argued that Borisov's accusations voiced at the opening of the election campaign of center-right party GERB in Plovdiv constituted direct discrimination against Bulgarian pensioners.

He suggested that it was inadmissible for a former Prime Minister and current candidate for the same post to go as far as to blame the poorest social group for the "eating up" of the country's fiscal reserve.

Diamanov argued that Borisov's claims had been false and particularly insolent, given that the minimum pension rate in Bulgaria had not increased for the past three years and five months.

The senior citizen claimed that Borisov's statement constituted discriminatory treatment as described in the Law on Protection against Discrimination.

Dimanov cited the following reasons in his complaint:

"The amount of the minimum pension remained unchanged in 2009, 2010 and 2011, having been reduced to the rate of BGN 136.08, and in 2012 it reached BGN 145 (according to data of the National Social Security Institute). The increase approved in 2012 was BGN 8.92, or 8%, and the increase approved in 2013 amounted to BGN 5, or 4%, meaning that the minimum pension increased by a total BGN 13.92, or 10% over the past four years.

Meanwhile, according to data of the National Social Security Institute, the number of pensioners in Bulgaria by September 2012 was around 2.2 million, with nearly 60% of them receiving a pension of up to BGN 271, while the total volume of pensions granted amounted to around BGN 870 M.

Therefore, the statement of the former Prime Minister that a total of BGN 4 B had been spent on increasing pensions, which had eaten up the fiscal reserve, is not only unacceptable but must also be considered particularly insolent and false, especially when it comes to the fact that for a period of three years the minimum pension was not increased at all."

Dimanov demands data from the National Social Security Institute indicating the minimum pension rate for the period 2009 – 2013 and the number of people receiving pensions during the period.

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