Bulgarians protest at state corruption as MPs take bonuses

ABOUT 2,000 Bulgarians protested in their capital, Sofia, yesterday, amid growing anger at crime and corruption and the government's handling of mounting economic problems.

Dissatisfaction with the country's leaders was exacerbated by news that MPs had voted to pay themselves Christmas bonuses totalling more than €350,000, at a time of almost daily factory closures, redundancies and increasing difficulties for ordinary people in repaying loans and finding new credit.

More than 1,000 farmers drove hundreds of tractors into Sofia to demand higher government subsidies for their produce and relief from growing bank pressure over their debts. "We face bankruptcies," said farmer Vasil Dimitrov (35). "All these tractors have been bought with credit and banks have already started pressing us."

"It's better for the government to disappear. It is unable to run the country," added another farmer, Alexander Dimashki (61). "Corruption has taken over."

The European Union stripped Sofia of €220 million in aid last month, and said Bulgaria might lose another €340 million if it failed to curb graft and political interference in funding processes by the end of 2009.

Opinion polls suggest 75 per cent of the population disapprove of the parliament's work and two-thirds want the government to resign. A general election is due next year. Politicians were lambasted by the media and non-governmental groups for taking a Christmas bonus, despite having been sanctioned by the EU and failing to push through reforms.

"We've had enough," environmental group For Nature said in a statement. "We want a state without corruption, lawlessness and damage to natural, human and intellectual resources."

Hundreds of young Bulgarians also marched yesterday to protest a rise in violent crime, after a student was beaten to death two weeks ago.

"Bulgaria needs criticism, but it also needs support," prime minister Sergei Stanishev argued this week, after another rebuke from Brussels over his government's failure to crush crime and corruption. "EU integration doesn't always run smoothly because we are a new member and we are learning. Bulgarians deserve to be treated on an equal footing with other Europeans," he said.