News

11 June 2025 

“In Bulgaria, it is easier to close a pub than a facility that provides unlicensed and ineffective medical and social services.” This was stated by the head of the Ombudsman's cabinet, Katia Hristova, PhD, at a meeting of the Social Affairs Committee in parliament, where a number of institutions were heard following their inspections of homes for the elderly in the villages of Yagodovo, Govedartsi, and the city of Varna..

Ms. Hristova recalled that since 2012, the Ombudsman Institution has had the power to inspect such places. She emphasized that, on average, the national public defender inspects at least ten similar institutions and homes that provide various social services each year.

“The reports are known and have been sent to all relevant parties concerned with these issues. What is extremely important for us is that the moment has finally come when the problem, in all its complexity, is really starting to be addressed. We hope that the final result will be effective,” added the head of the Ombudsman's cabinet.

Hristova said that the Institution's team had inspected a well-functioning social care home in Bankya that morning and called for the problematic ones to be separated from the social services that are actually functioning.

“The opinion of our colleagues is that after the introduction of the reform, after the adoption of the Social Services Act and the establishment of the Agency for Quality of Social Services, things are actually improving in terms of quality, but it is important that the shortcomings we have identified are taken into account by the other institutions in a timely manner, because this home in Varna that you are talking about, the same staff that you are now describing, we documented them back in 2022 and provided the information to all institutions,” emphasized Katia Hristova.

She drew attention to the need to establish a clear control mechanism and expressed hope that the interdepartmental team set up to conduct the inspections would ensure its implementation.  

Katia Hristova called for the experience of the Ombudsman Institution to be used.

“I appeal to my colleagues at the Ministry of Justice. I do not understand why we have not been invited to join the working group that will draft legislative amendments, given that the Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria was the first to propose amendments to the Penal Code to criminalize the illegal provision of social services, as well as to the Social Services Act.

At the meeting of the Social Affairs Committee, it became clear that these amendments would be drafted within two weeks and that the institution was invited to participate in the working group.