Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Dr. Helene Kortländer: Roma integration in Bulgaria is possible

Photo: BGNES / Photo: БТА

“Making tangible progress in this area is no fiction, it is entirely possible. The political will and the financial means are there. This is a process that should not be seen as charity. It is time to put an end to division,” Dr. Helene Kortländer, director of the Friedrich Ebert foundation, Bulgaria said for the BNR.

By 2050 the Roma community in the country will reach around 1 million people, indicate data of the Friedrich Ebert foundation, or 24% of the population of Bulgaria, Dr. Helene Kortländer said further. Efforts must be made for the education of the Roma and their socialization, she added.

The Roma community now number 780,000, said Assoc. Prof. Georgi Burdarov. He pointed to the town of Straldzha near Yambol as a successful example of integration, where all Roma children go to school. 



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

'Not one more'

Bulgaria joins the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, a number of cities in Bulgaria will hold marches today under the slogan 'Not one more'.  The Bulgarian Fund for Women (BFW) will also be taking part in the marches...

published on 11/25/25 7:35 AM

Bulgarian Prime Minister says country ready to help find peace solutions

Speaking at an informal meeting of EU leaders on Friday, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said that Bulgaria, as an EU member state and NATO ally, is ready to participate in efforts to find solutions for peace and security. He said that Ukraine’s..

published on 11/24/25 6:02 PM

Bulgarian scientist leads NASA team searching for planets beyond Solar System

Bulgarian-born scientist Dr Ellie Hadjhiyska Schmelzer is leading a team working on NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission, a space project dedicated to identifying planets outside the Solar System, BTA reported. Hadjhiyska..

published on 11/24/25 5:12 PM