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Bulgarian Pensioners Hope for Christmas Bonuses

Bulgaria should accept one Guantanamo Bay prisoner

Bulgaria’s Finance Minister Simeon Djankov and his deputy Vladislav Goranov spent the whole day yesterday to calculate how much money may be allotted to pensioners as Christmas bonuses Photo: Georgi Nikolov

I would be very happy if we manage to give Christmas bonuses at least to the pensioners with the lowest old-age payments in Bulgaria, PM Boyko Borissov said yesterday. About 600,000 elderly Bulgarians live on pensions of 200-250 levs (euro 100-125) per month. It is still unclear whether all of the two million pensioners in Bulgaria will receive Christmas bonuses.
Mr. Borissov went on to say that policemen and prison wardens will receive extra payments to solve their social problems.
To his words, Bulgaria should accept one inmate from the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, without fearing possible terrorist attacks because, to his words, the country’s international security is guaranteed by the EU and NATO. However, the parliament is to take the final decision on the US request to Bulgaria to accept one Guantanamo Bay prisoner. Mr. Borissov said he would not ask anything of our American partners in exchange for this gesture.
Milena Mincheva