The program “First job! First home! First child!” is at the center of the campaign of the “BSP – United Left” candidates in the 23rd MIR – Sofia. The leader of the list of the left unification there is the chairman of the Youth Unification in the BSP, Gabriel Valkov, followed by three other young representatives in the person of the second in the list Georgi Angelov, Ivan Panayotov, number 104, and Sava Dikov, number 106. They offer specific measures aimed at young people, with an emphasis on professional development, housing stability and support for young families.
Main highlights of the program
“First job! First home! First child!” focuses on three main priorities for young people: securing a first job, support for buying a first home and support for families with a first child. The young candidates of the United Left presented the program a little over a week ago in South Park in the capital at an event marking the 15th birthday of the Youth Union in the BSP.
First job
The program proposes the introduction of a “Social Guarantee”, which aims at state support for young people in finding their first job in various regions and professional groups. In addition, it foresees tax breaks for young professionals working in their specialty and a program for start-up businesses with national and European funding for entrepreneurs up to 29 years old.
First home
The second part of the program focuses on housing stability. State support is provided for young families in the purchase or construction of a primary residence, and the funds will be provided through state-guaranteed loans. The program also includes incentives to provide municipal housing for young families.
First child
The third component of the program deals with support for young families in raising children. An increase in one-time assistance at the birth of a child is planned, as well as state funding of in vitro procedures for young families. In addition, tax exemptions for young parents and the introduction of free medicines for children up to 16 years are proposed.
Education
The program offers ambitious support for the education system, with an emphasis on establishing the teaching profession as regulated and protected by the state, as well as maintaining teacher salaries above the national average. A national “Education-Economy” map is being introduced, linking schooling to regional economic needs and development plans, emphasizing the recovery of secondary vocational education and the development of dual training. To ensure equal access to training, a a national “Access to Knowledge” program through which disadvantaged students will receive laptops and Internet access.
Higher education is also a priority, with the program proposing to tie higher education and science salaries to the average salary in the public sector, as well as increasing funding for these areas to between 1% and 0.5% of GDP. Centers of excellence and development centers will be developed to stimulate innovation, creating opportunities for cooperation with business. Curricula will be modernized, with a single subject textbook for each grade introduced across the country. The school financing system will be changed, and the delegated budgets will take into account the results of the educational process.
The program also includes measures to provide more school buses and funds for their maintenance, as well as the creation of free extracurricular activities for gifted children. This will ensure equal access to specialized high schools, including for children whose parents do not have the financial ability to pay for additional courses.
The challenges
The young candidates from the list of “BSP – United Left” in the 23rd MIR have been walking around the capital’s neighborhoods for over a month and discussing the program with the residents and guests of Sofia. Despite the ambitious goals, the implementation of these ideas will require considerable effort and political will. The program “First job! First home! First child!” aims to offer practical solutions to current problems, striving to attract the attention of young voters and improve the conditions for the development of young people in the country. After October 27, the BSP youth organization will proceed with its implementation.
