Judicial staff and magistrates protested outside the court houses in Plovdiv and Pazardzhik against the 2027 budget

Judicial employees from the Appellate, Regional, and District Courts in Plovdiv went out during the lunch break to the entrance of the Judicial Palace and the prosecutor's office to express their disagreement with the parameters of the draft budget for 2027. Their presence did not interrupt the work process, and the protest was aimed at potential cuts to the annual funding for clothing and the planned 10-percent reduction of court administration, which, according to the organizers, would hinder the functioning of the judiciary.

The judicial staff point out that newly appointed employees with three higher educations earn about 890 euros net per month, which, according to participants, is insufficient and does not reflect their workload. “We have a new colleague with three higher educations who earns 890 euros net salary. We are the most vulnerable part of the judicial system, about which the least is said. When work increases, we are required the most, and when the budget must be cut, it first hits us,” said the court clerk from Plovdiv.

The satisfaction of the judicial staff was also supported by judges and prosecutors in the city. “I firmly stand behind the position of the judicial staff,” said Judge Elena Gertseva of the Plovdiv District Court, emphasizing that this concerns highly qualified personnel who are required to have morality and resilience.

In parallel, a protest action took place in Pazardzhik, where judicial staff and magistrates came out in front of the Pazardzhik court building. They voiced their dissatisfaction with the low pay and with the planned removal of the additional clothing funding in the 2027 state budget.

The organizers stressed that the recruited staff are important for the quality of justice and that the necessary funding is of significant importance for the normal functioning of the judiciary in the region.

Source: БНР Новини