Bulgaria’s diplomats are ready to go on strike. As of 2 December, consular services and certification are being put on hold, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Sofia is suspending work. Bulgaria’s diplomatic missions and consular posts abroad are also ready to join the effective strike action.

The diplomats came out in front of one of the entrances of the Foreign Ministry building in Sofia this morning and started throwing loose change as a symbol of how their work is being evaluated. The average salary of Foreign Ministry staff is equal to the salary of a cashier at a food chain store, they say and demand that their salaries be upped to the level of the salaries at the Ministry of Defence. The protesters will be heard out by the parliamentary foreign affairs committee this afternoon.