Bulgaria: Bleak future

Bulgarian elections are coming, and with them articles about vote buying, especially in Roma communities. On one of the dark days of the last election week, the leaders of the Roma community in the neighborhood of the village of Kalipetrovo, located near Silistra, gathered for a cup of tea to share their grievance that “they promised to buy them a bicycle, but another time”. This other time, however, there are not even promises.

They are happy with their mayor, but one bird does not make spring. And they want simple things – a better life for the grandchildren they are raising while their sons and daughters are in England and somewhere else in the world.