Balgarianovinite.com If the consensus is to work with an extended budget, that is also an option, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said in an interview for the Bulgarian National Radio on Sunday.
He recalled that the draft state budget was submitted by the government as a complex project and adopted at first reading. Withdrawal after first reading can only occur by decision of the National Assembly. Restarting the procedure would require a new Council of Ministers decision, a new draft, and consultations within the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation. If the current bill is withdrawn, about two months would be lost solely to procedural steps.
This would require drafting an extended budget to apply for 2026 – essentially the 2025 budget already converted into euro. “That poses a systemic risk, which is why, in our view, proceeding in this way is only possible if the government, trade unions and employers reach an agreement on the overall parameters,” the Prime Minister said.
He added that the focus now is on identifying the substance around which consensus can be built. The current draft budget provides for a 12% increase in social spending, and, according to him, the protests against it are the first in history to oppose a budget with such a significant rise in social expenditure.
“If more spending is requested while revenues are reduced, it must be stated clearly what will be done with the deficit,” Zhelyazkov said. He stressed that the protests are not social protests like those in 1996 or 2013, when expectations centred on more social protection.
“When preparing this draft, we were mindful of the need to increase spending for groups requiring higher protection. It contains measures that anger many active social groups,” he continued. The protests have brought together very different groups – those opposing the euro, those advocating more liberal or more conservative policies, supporters of systemic and anti-systemic approaches, as well as generational divides, with young people expressing a typical generational outburst against the status quo and conservatism, Zhelyazkov added.
Zhelyazkov said he had assured Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov that the core social commitments laid out in the draft budget would be preserved. He spoke in response to a question about whether Zafirov’s recent warning poses a risk to the stability of the government.
Deputy Prime Minister and Bulgarian Socialist Party leader Atanas Zafirov said here Thursday that there can be no compromises on incomes, families, pensions, healthcare or the condition of municipalities. “If there is no possibility to continue the planned social policies, BSP – United Left will reconsider its participation in the government”, he said as quoted by the party press office.
“I do not think the role, place or authority of BSP are under threat,” Zhelyazkov said.
He noted that BSP had made a difficult decision in joining the government from the outset, given its position on the left of the political spectrum. The party had to support centre-right fiscal measures, Bulgaria’s stance on the war in Ukraine, and the introduction of the euro. “As a socialist party, BSP has insisted on defending these positions and has been doing so in a pragmatic way,” the Prime Minister said. PM Zhelyazkov Says Extended Budget Is Also an Option If Consensus Is Reached 2025 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2025-11-30 11:16:00 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
