Demerdzhiev: "There is no way I can fire all pensioners from the Interior Ministry," but I am closing the comfort unit attached to the minister

"Do not expect me to remove all pensioners from the Interior Ministry." With these words, Interior Minister "Ivan Demerdzhiev" outlined the boundary of his intentions for personnel changes in the system of the internal department. The statement was made to journalists during the graduation ceremony of another class at the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The minister emphasized that he would not comply with radical calls for all retirement-age employees to be removed from the state administration, including in the ministries of internal affairs and defense. "There will be dismissals of pensioners, but there are places where they are irreplaceable, so do not expect me to fire them," stated "Demerdzhiev", making it clear that he would act selectively and based on specific professional criteria.

Just days ago, the interior minister officially announced that as of April 30 of this year, a total of 1,098 Ministry of Interior employees had reached retirement age. The data was presented in a written response to the MP from the "Yes, Bulgaria" parliamentary group, "Martin Dimitrov". According to the breakdown, 288 of the employees reached retirement age less than a year ago, 244 – less than two years ago, 199 – less than three, 124 – less than four years ago, and 243 – more than five years ago.

It is likely about people who have reached retirement age but have not terminated their employment relationships and continue to work. The topic of "eternal" cadres in the Interior Ministry is not new. Only a few months ago, former Interior Minister "Veselin Vuchkov" presented scandalous data on how there are employees in the system who simultaneously receive both a pension and a salary. "The data I have officially from the NSSI shows that currently 4,779 people in the Interior Ministry system are receiving both a salary and a pension. There are nearly 2,000 more who work as administration – under the Civil Servant Act and the Labor Code. But the figure is truly staggering. Such a thing cannot be seen anywhere else in the world. And until 7–8 years ago, this was also prohibited in Bulgaria," stated "Vuchkov" at the time.

Against this backdrop, "Ivan Demerdzhiev" also announced another significant change – the closure of the unit for supporting the minister. This unit has for years been perceived as a kind of "buffer parking lot" for high-ranking Interior Ministry officials, most often regional directors, who are released from their posts but continue to receive their full salaries for months without having clear operational functions.

According to the interior minister, there are currently over 30 people in this unit. Even more worrying, according to "Demerdzhiev", among them are people for whom there is data that they violated the law while in leadership positions at the Interior Ministry. Closing the unit is presented as a step towards limiting "personnel comfort" for failed or compromised leaders, who until now could count on a long and well-paid "transition period".

Thus, the minister's message to the system is twofold. On one hand, he refuses to accept the idea of a "wholesale purge" of everyone of retirement age, arguing that experienced personnel are needed in key positions. On the other – he promises to put an end to the practice of the Interior Ministry sheltering dismissed bosses in convenient positions without clear tasks – a practice that has caused public dissatisfaction for years.