'It's Christmas. A holiday of love, family and the joy we share with loved ones and friends.
On this bright day, we can do something more - to be together and overcome our differences. We can be people with our own opinions, but let's discuss what unites us and take care of each other', this is what Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov said in an address on the occasion of the Nativity of Christ.
'The good news with which we send off 2023 is that we look forward with increasing confidence. The latest public opinion polls show that almost 60% of Bulgarians expect a better new year. According to Eurobarometer, optimists are more than 3 times more than pessimists. And this is proof that people are more relaxed about the future.
At Christmas, when we celebrate the birth of goodness, let us ask ourselves what is most important to us as a nation. What is the cause that unites us? How to make life better for all Bulgarians and survive as a nation.
Recent budgets have systematically and significantly increased investment in people. We provide social support for families with children and will continue to create conditions for the career development of young parents. Bulgaria is in second place in terms of salary growth in the European Union, and they will continue to increase next year. Our goal is for income to outstrip inflation. And it should be limited. And we have already managed to bring it down to levels lower than before the war and before the energy crises.
But the biggest change we are working on is to transform the economy of cheap labor into an economy of high added value. We are already attracting strategic investors who value the knowledge and skills of Bulgarians and want to include them in the technologies of the future. Because the best social program is for people to have stable and well-paid jobs.
We are already seeing the first results of these efforts. More and more Bulgarians are returning to their homeland. The birth rate is rising. For the first time since the start of the transition, families are re-entering the two-child model.
And the children of Bulgaria must grow and develop their abilities here, in their homeland. In challenging times, we all need faith in the future and humility in the face of difference to build a more successful nation. We are better when we are together - both in care and in celebration.
Merry Christmas!' reads the official address of the Bulgarian Prime Minister. /BGNES
