Give and take.

Resentment on the part of ordinary Bulgarians on the basis of the perception that those on the public payroll are skimming off the cream by paying themselves lavish bonuses would be quite understandable.

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It is clear that for a long time the system of bonuses for public office-bearers and public servants has lacked transparency and, it seems, been quite disproportionate to merit. That is to say, it is a fair question whether the genuinely deserving have received bonuses of sufficient scale, or at all. The other side of the coin is obvious, hence the public outcry.

The Prime Minister's decision to demand the repayment of all bonuses cannot be the sole solution. The Government must push through its stated intention to come up with legislation creating a system that is objective and fair.

In both the public and private sectors, the principle should apply equally that merit and extra effort should have their just rewards. In time, a new look at salaries will be needed too, for similar reasons of fairness, predictability and proper planning.