PP Leaders Tell Bulgarians in Istanbul: “We Will Fix Roads, Schools and Bring People Back Home”

The leadership of “We Continue the Change” (PP), including Asen Vassilev and deputy chairman Nikolai Denkov, met with Bulgarian emigrants in Istanbul, alongside PP-DB list leaders from Shumen and Kardzhali, Aylin Pehlivanova and Sebahatin Gökçe. The gathering drew a large audience, with the hall reportedly filled with hundreds of Bulgarians living in Turkey.

According to the party’s press service, the discussion focused on the difficulties faced by Bulgarians abroad, with PP representatives pledging that these issues would be placed among the first priorities in the next parliament. The meeting also featured broader political messages about governance, state responsibility, and the condition of public services in Bulgaria.

Asen Vassilev told attendees that divisions among citizens based on ethnicity or religion were unacceptable, stressing that all Bulgarians should be treated equally by the state. He argued that citizens expect their country to function fairly and to use public funds responsibly, without corruption or misuse. In his remarks, he critisized poor infrastructure and governance practices, claiming that financial resources exist but are not properly managed, and that those refusing to participate in corruption are often disadvantaged.

He further stated that he knows from personal experience how difficult it is to live away from one’s home country, adding that migration is rarely a voluntary choice. Vassilev expressed the view that improved public services, higher salaries, and better infrastructure in Bulgaria would encourage emigrants to return. He highlighted recent years’ economic progress, describing it as a result of policies aimed at returning taxpayers’ money to citizens.

The PP leader also referred to municipal development programs introduced under the Denkov government, under which local authorities can apply for funding for infrastructure projects such as roads, water systems, playgrounds, and kindergartens. He stressed that allocation should depend on objective criteria such as population size rather than political connections, and questioned why similar improvements had not been achieved in previous decades.

A separate topic raised during the meeting was the limited number of polling stations abroad. Vassilev said emigrants were being restricted in exercising their voting rights and announced plans to restore the previous number of voting sections in future legislative work. The delegation also promised initiatives for electronic access to consular services and reforms in the pension system to ensure fair treatment of contributions made abroad.

Nikolay Denkov told the audience that the challenges faced by Bulgarians at home and abroad are shared and require joint solutions. He announced plans for early parliamentary action, including meetings with emigrant organizations and legislative proposals related to voting rights and pensions. Denkov also criticized delays and inefficiencies in consular services, arguing that digitalization would reduce corruption risks and improve access.

During his remarks, he also commented on Bulgaria’s European integration, stating that progress toward Schengen and the eurozone has strengthened the country’s attractiveness for investment and its citizens abroad. Participants from the emigrant community raised concerns about persistent poverty and underdevelopment in certain regions, attributing these issues to systemic governance problems over the past decades.

The delegation also visited Bursa, where Denkov met members of the Balgöç organization and discussed recent political developments in Bulgaria. Meetings were also held with Bulgarian emigrant workers in local industry and representatives of business associations founded by Bulgarians abroad, focusing on potential investment opportunities in Bulgaria, particularly in economically disadvantaged regions.