site.btaKarlovo Residents to Protest Against Construction of Gunpowder Factory, Says Vazrazhdane MP

Karlovo residents will stage a protest in front of the Town Hall on Thursday against a gunpowder factory project, Vazrazhdane MP Krastyo Vrachev said on Wednesday.

Vrachev said the protest, organized by Karlovo's Vazrazhdane chapter, will take place during a Municipal Council session reviewing Mayor Emil Kabaivanov's report to amend the town's detailed plan to allow the construction of a gunpowder factory on 52 hectares, mostly forest.

On Tuesday, the Bulgarian government and Germany's Rheinmetall officially announced the launch of a project to build a gunpowder and ammunition factory. At a ceremony at the Council of Ministers, the agreement was signed by Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger and the company's Weapons and Ammunition Department Head Roman Kohne. The document was signed by VMZ Executive Director Ivan Getsov for Bulgaria.

"We want the voice of the people to be heard. We want a public discussion on this issue, ensuring that all perspectives are represented and that objective facts are laid out to assess the benefits and drawbacks of building such a factory in Karlovo Municipality," Vrachev stressed. He argued that the report had been submitted unlawfully, as it was signed by Getsov despite the fact that the land proposed for the plant is not owned by VMZ. "This land is considered a buffer zone of the Central Balkan, and in practice it is state-owned, under the jurisdiction of the Agriculture and Food Ministry," the MP said.

Vrachev also said it is concerning that neither the Agriculture and Food Ministry, the Regional Development and Public Works Ministry nor the Environment and Water Ministry has published an official opinion on the agreement, meaning there are absolutely no studies or information on the project. "What impact will this have on the entire region, and what potential benefits could it bring? There are also concerns that building the plant could harm the environment, put people's lives at risk, and even lead to accidents," Vrachev said, insisting that any production should add value without endangering lives or the environment. "Let's build a factory for drones, missiles or a complete final product," Vrachev stressed.

The reasons why the government agreed to a smaller percentage remain unclear, as the controlling stake will be held by the German company, he noted. "In practice, we will become contractors," he said. The MP was referring to the fact that the plant will be a 51-49 partnership.