Financial decentralization of municipalities and adequate funding for each of their assigned functions are part of the priorities in the new Charter for the Salvation and Development of Regions and Local Communities, prepared by the civil initiative "Bulgarian Regions". It aims to place the topic of regional development at the center of the public and political debate, reports BNT.
The document is the result of a specialized conference with the participation of dozens of experts who unite around the need for urgent reform in local government. According to them, the deepening demographic and regional imbalances require a new approach to state policy. In conditions of prolonged political instability, decentralization of power is seen as a key tool for more effective management and limiting corruption.
"What we want is the creation of a second level of local self-government. We want the creation of self-governing regions. Bulgaria is actually the only country in the European Union that does not have such a level, it does not exist and Bulgarian politicians are extremely resistant to opposing the creation of such a type of management level, "said Prof. Vladimir Chukov, Chairman of the "Region" Association.
This is also one of the main ideas in the document - the creation of four new self-governing regions, in which local residents would elect a regional council, and it would elect its own governor. According to the initiators, this way the power would be closer to the citizens and decisions would be made on the spot. Emphasis is also placed on financial decentralization, with experts indicating that the current budget imbalances would be smaller if the model of a number of Western European countries were followed.
Currently, the data shows a serious concentration of population and economy in the capital. Sofia occupies about 1% of the country's territory, but it is home to approximately 20% of the population, who create nearly 40% of the gross domestic product. According to experts, if this trend continues, in two decades the contrasts between the capital and the rest of the country will deepen even more. At the same time, about five regional centers form over half of the country's GDP, while the other regions lag behind economically.
"We are on the way to Sofia becoming a desert Bulgaria. One of our main goals, besides the political one, is to support the attitude of the rulers towards the planning part of the territory," says arch. Petar Dikov, chairman of the Union of Architects in Bulgaria and former chief architect of Sofia.
The chairman of the Center for Demographic Policy Iskren Veselinov noted that regional disparities are among the main factors for the demographic crisis in Bulgaria. The lack of investment and economic opportunities in many parts of the country forces people to seek fulfillment elsewhere - both in Sofia and outside Bulgaria.
The Charter will be presented to political forces as a topic for discussion during the election campaign with the aim of embedding it in the programs of the political formations participating in the next vote.