Balgarianovinite.com Bulgaria’s new political leadership faces a series of immediate tests and long-term priorities following a decisive election result that has reshaped the country’s political landscape and raised expectations for stable governance, according to the Institute of Market Economics (IME). According to an IME analysis, the outcome of the elections where Rumen Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria won a landslide, signals a potential end to the cycle of instability and opens the door to reforms aimed at boosting competitiveness, economic growth and the rule of law. However, the report warns that uncertainty remains, particularly regarding the values and policy direction of the election-winning party.
The institute outlines several early tests for the incoming government, including maintaining macroeconomic stability, adopting a prudent fiscal policy without raising taxes, restoring trust in the judiciary, and reaffirming Bulgaria’s pro-European and NATO-oriented foreign policy.
Alongside these short-term challenges, the report sets out ten fundamental goals to be achieved by 2030, which it says could significantly improve living standards and unlock the country’s economic potential.
A central target is raising Bulgaria’s GDP per capita to at least 75% of the EU average, continuing a long-term convergence trend but still lagging behind many Central and Eastern European peers. This would require stronger policies to support competitiveness and better use of the country’s human and physical resources.
Increasing investment is another key priority, with a goal of reaching 25% of GDP—well above current levels below 20%. Economists argue that improving the business environment and encouraging innovation will be essential to achieving this.
The report also highlights the labour market, calling for employment among people aged 20–64 to rise to at least 80%, up from current record levels of around 76–77%. This would involve activating inactive workers, improving skills, and attracting investment to less developed regions.
Reducing inequality is another major objective, with the aim of bringing the Gini coefficient down to between 30 and 35. The analysis suggests that sustained growth, rising wages and targeted social policies can achieve this without major changes to the tax system.
Education reform features prominently, with a target to improve student performance in international PISA assessments by 25–50 points and reduce the share of low-performing students, currently estimated at around half.
In healthcare, the goal is to raise life expectancy to 78 years by tackling high levels of preventable mortality and shifting focus toward prevention, workforce retention and better access to care.
Demographic challenges are also addressed, with a target of achieving net positive migration of more than 50,000 people annually, reversing long-term population decline.
The institute further calls for greater fiscal decentralization, aiming for municipalities to generate over 40% of their own revenues, as well as more balanced regional development beyond the capital, Sofia.
Finally, the report stresses the need for effective anti-corruption measures and substantial progress in the rule of law, arguing that judicial reform remains essential to economic development and public trust.
The recommendations are part of a forthcoming “White Paper: Unlocking Growth 2026”, which will be presented in May. Economists say the extent to which the new government meets these goals will determine whether Bulgaria can translate political change into lasting economic and institutional progress. New Government Faces 10 Key Goals for Bulgaria by 2030 – Institute of Market Economics 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-04-20 13:13:12 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