Court and prosecutor's office staff in Burgas walked out on their lunch break today to protest outside the Palace of Justice against the draft 2027 budget. Protests took place across Bulgaria. Justice minister Nikolay Naydenov has invited judges, prosecutors and staff to a meeting on Monday to discuss pay.

The unrest began at the Sofia District Prosecutor's Office, where staff started a national petition against the budget. Today, people from the justice system protested under the banner "The Invisible Ones in the Judicial System".

Earlier on this topic: Sofia District Prosecutor's Office staff launched a national petition against the draft 2027 budget

The draft budget gives a pay rise of only 5% and scraps the clothing allowance paid under the Judiciary Act. Protesters say this money is a big part of the yearly income of many court staff. In Burgas, people from different units and levels of the court administration took part.

Ivaylo Tsvetkov, a court employee at the Regional Court in Pleven, also pointed to the change in social security contributions. The new split between employer and employee is 60 to 40. The protest in Pleven was against cuts to incomes and social rights.

Dimitar Zotev, court administrator at the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Blagoevgrad, said new hires start on pay close to the minimum, while the responsibilities in the system are "huge". In Blagoevgrad, staff organised the protest outside the Palace of Justice on their own, and judges and prosecutors backed it.

Emil Enchev, spokesman and deputy regional prosecutor in Razgrad, said the work of court staff often goes unnoticed, even though they are on call around the clock.

"The Supreme Judicial Council has asked for some funds, and they have been cut heavily. There is also talk of mass job cuts in the judiciary," Kamen Yordanov, an employee at the Regional Court in Stara Zagora, told reporters.

In Sofia, court and prosecutor's office staff set out empty chairs in front of the Sofia District Prosecutor's Office and the Sofia District Court. They said this showed that posts in the system will stay empty if the budget passes with these wages.

In Vratsa, judges, prosecutors and staff from the Regional, District and Administrative courts protested together with representatives of the prosecutor's office. They say the proposed provision directly affects the status of judges, prosecutors and staff, and the independence of the judiciary. In Pernik, staff from the three courts and from the District and Regional Prosecutor's Offices took part, and in Gabrovo, staff and magistrates from the Regional and District Prosecutor's Offices.

In Varna and Pazardzhik, people protested against low pay and the loss of the clothing allowance. In Ruse, staff and magistrates gathered outside the Palace of Justice in the centre, and in Vidin they stood outside the prosecutor's office to back their colleagues from the Sofia District Prosecutor's Office. Silistra and Haskovo held symbolic protests. In Silistra, staff asked for a real and lasting rise in basic pay based on qualifications.

Staff in Veliko Tarnovo protested to defend the dignity of their work and fair pay. They reject populism, attempts to turn public opinion against the judicial system, and efforts to set wages against welfare payments. They say attention is being deliberately drawn away from the real problems.

In Targovishte, magistrates, judges and prosecutors backed the protest for fair pay and for keeping staff, and the participants signed the petition. In Yambol, all court staff in the Regional Court's area signed it. Staff in Kardzhali also joined the protest.

In Kyustendil, staff came out firmly against the budget. They point out that the work of clerks, registrars, process servers, archivists, statisticians, IT specialists and court managers demands precision, responsibility and professionalism under heavy pressure.