Bulgarian Defence Minister Karakachanov Makes Troubling Statements after Tension in Gabrovo

To solve the gypsy problem we need a deliberate but firm state policy, said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Krasimir Karakachanov in interview for Focus Radio, referring to the tensions in Gabrovo over the past days. According to him, there is anger in society as such domestic crimes committed by members of marginalised communities are everyday life in different places in Bulgaria. Minister Karakachanov stressed that the measures could only be complex. "This problem, which has been neglected for 30 years, cannot be solved by the police alone. The police intervene when there is a crime but they can't be everywhere. I have introduced a concept for solving the Gypsy problem in the Council of Ministers," said Minister Karakachanov. In his words, it should start with education as those gypsies that create problems are illiterate, unable to read and write, have no job or desire to integrate and tend to be aggressive. "Then, there is the social benefits system, which is literally stupid at the moment. There are 400,000 people of working age who do not want to work and are considered long-term unemployed. They are offered jobs by the employment bureaus but they refuse to work because they prefer to live on social benefits, fake disability certificates and child allowances," the minister said, adding that the social benefits should be stopped in case of a refused job offer. According to Minister Karakachanov, a large part of society sees the problem and supports these ideas.

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