The ruling Progressive Bulgaria (PB) party found itself sending conflicting signals on maternity leave within the span of a single day, after comments by one of its MPs sparked speculation about possible changes to one of Bulgaria’s most sensitive social policies.
The debate began Monday morning when PB lawmaker and former volleyball player Vladimir Nikolov suggested that mothers should be encouraged to return to work earlier. Speaking on bTV, he argued that the real challenge facing families is not the level of financial support during the second year of maternity leave, but the chronic shortage of nursery and kindergarten places, particularly in larger cities.
Further reading: Bulgaria May Cut Maternity Leave: Government Weighs Major Change to One of Europe’s Most Generous Systems
Nikolov said many women who want to continue their professional development are effectively prevented from doing so because they cannot find childcare for their children. “If a woman wants to build a career, which is entirely understandable and should be encouraged, spending two years on maternity leave makes that extremely difficult,” he said.
When asked what measures the party might consider, Nikolov replied that one possible step would be shortening maternity leave. However, he immediately added a condition, stressing that such a move could only be considered once sufficient nursery and kindergarten capacity had been created nationwide. According to him, many mothers would prefer to return to work earlier but are forced to remain at home because suitable childcare options are unavailable.
