Balgarianovinite.com Additional funding for the cultural sector is not optional but an essential resource for implementing government policies, Culture Minister Evtim Miloshev said on Thursday as the 2026 State Budget Bill was presented to the National Assembly Culture and Media Committee.
Within the overall scheme, the budget proposed for the Culture Ministry for 2026 amounts to EUR 267,051,700, an increase of EUR 33,307,500 compared with the 2025 budget.
Also attending the committee meeting were Deputy Culture Ministers Plamen Slavov, Marina Vasileva and Zornitsa Grekova, Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) Director General Kiril Valchev, Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) Director General Milen Mitev, Bulgarian National Television (BNT) Director General Milena Milotinova, and Council for Electronic Media Chair Gabriela Naplatanova.
Minister Miloshev said the draft budget will ensure the implementation of the Ministry of Culture’s core policies. The largest increase, amounting to EUR 27,610,000, is earmarked for state cultural institutions in the performing arts through the unified expenditure standards system.
The proposal also allocates EUR 5,868,400 for a 5% increase in personnel expenditure from January 1, 2026, EUR 1,857,100 in state support for the film industry, EUR 493,800 for commemorating the 150th anniversary of the April Uprising, EUR 827,700 to cover the increase in the minimum monthly wage to EUR 620.20 from January 1, 2026, EUR 120,800 to offset the rise in the maximum social security contribution threshold to EUR 2,300 from August 1, 2026, EUR 38,600 for higher cash awards recognizing outstanding contributions to the Bulgarian state and nation, and EUR 20,300 reflecting changes in education-related performance indicators.
The minister outlined the allocation of funding across the Ministry’s individual policy areas. According to Miloshev, “the resources provided will preserve the system’s basic sustainability but will not fully meet the identified needs related to modernization, maintenance, investment, staffing and the implementation of the Ministry’s core policies.”
He also drew attention to funding earmarked under the central government budget’s Culture category. It includes EUR 153,400 for the activities of the designated Centre for Underwater Archaeology as a UNESCO Category 2 institute, EUR 3,096,800 to settle projects under the National Cultural Calendar, EUR 1,732,400 for programmes administered by the National Culture Fund, EUR 2,141,000 for archaeological fieldwork and on-site conservation of immovable archaeological heritage, and EUR 20 million for preparations and the organization of Bulgaria’s hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027. Minister Welcomes Culture Spending Increase Proposed in 2026 State Budget Bill 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-07-09 14:43:39 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law