“I will be absolutely uncompromising to all attempts to use social policy instruments for any type of influence on the voting of Bulgarian citizens,” said Minister of Labour and Social Policy Hasan Ademov when accepting the post from his predecessor Borislav Gutsanov.

“I know that over the years this has happened – if you do not vote in a certain way, there will be no hot lunch, there will be no social assistance or energy support. Absolutely every case will be checked and if there is guilty behaviour, the appropriate measures will be taken,” Ademov promised.

He outlined two priority tasks of the caretaker cabinet and the team of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy (MLSP) – ensuring fair and transparent early parliamentary elections and guaranteeing the social rights of the most vulnerable in the absence of a budget.

The Minister recalled that the Ministry has its agencies, control functions, and inspectorate, which can prevent influence and pressure on people's choices through the social system. “We will also engage the National Association of the Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria (NAMRB), because some of the services and support go through the municipal administrations. I hope we will have a meeting with the NAMRB, because such phenomena undermine confidence in the integrity of the electoral process,” Minister Ademov said.

He guarantees that pensions will be increased under the “Swiss rule” from July 1, despite the lack of a budget: “There are laws in place – the Social Security Code and the Public Finance Act – that ensure that pensioners will receive what is stipulated in them.”

For his part, Borislav Gutsanov expressed satisfaction that the appointment of Hasan Ademov as Minister of Labour and Social Policy ensured continuity.

“We will try to use the capabilities of the European programs to continue and build on what has been started. Because in the winter period, during the introduction of the European currency, the MLSP must support the most vulnerable groups – people with low incomes, people with disabilities,” Minister Ademov said.