European People’s Party President Joseph Daul has levelled criticism at the Bulgarian government for repealing ordinance No. 208 on the integration of refugees. In a Tweet he wrote that the repeal was “very bad news against EU practice” and that he expected an immediate reaction from the Bulgarian President.

Yesterday, the cabinet ministers decided that the ordinance should be retailored, so as to create a working mechanism. Repealing the government decree from August last year was a pre-election promise by President Rumen Radev and the Bulgarian Socialist Party.

The integration of refugees is a priority for Europe. At the EU summit at the end of last year, Bulgaria assumed the commitment, together with the other European countries, to pursue a policy of integration of refugees and not allow any discrimination against them.