Balgarianovinite.com The National Council for Tripartite Cooperation (NCTC) failed to reach unanimity on any of the draft National Health Insurance Fund, Public Social Insurance and State budgets for 2026 at an extraordinary meeting on Monday. Employer organizations, trade unions and the Executive met to discuss the parameters of the draft budgets after the Cabinet announced them last week.
Prior to the meeting, the Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA) and the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria (KRIB) set out their conditions in exchange for its support for the budgets.
At the start of the meeting, Finance Minister Galab Donev argued that this budget does not include the policies of the current Government. “But in preparing it, we are beginning to apply the principles for which we earned the voters’ trust – realism, honesty, accountability, responsibility, normalization, a balanced approach, and the preservation of rights and incomes,” he added. The skillful stabilization of public finances without drastic measures is a necessary condition for the transition to the 2027 budget, which will incorporate the Cabinet’s policies, Donev noted.
National Health Insurance Fund Budget
The National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) 2026 draft budget forecasts funding of EUR 5.257 billion, up by more than EUR 412 million from the previous year, NHIF Governor Petko Stefanovski said. He recently submitted his resignation and is currently serving his notice period.
Against: Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association (BICA) and the Confederation of Labour Podkrepa.
BICA Chair Rumen Radev said that the organization has repeatedly pointed out that increasing funding is no guarantee of better healthcare, adding that the system needs more efficient spending, with an emphasis on prevention, early intervention and control, as well as a realistic assessment of quality. Podkrepa President Dimitar Manolov said that problems that have accumulated over more than 20 years cannot be solved within the framework of a budget drawn up for this period, but the funding model must be changed: “Currently, the system funds sick people, but pays no attention to healthy ones.” He singled out as a serious flaw the fact that there has been no collective labour agreement in the sector for three years.
In favour: The Health Ministry and Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB). BIA and KRIB expressed support in principle, while the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) will provide additional comments on the draft budget and is inclined to support it.
Public Social Insurance Budget
National Social Security Institute (NSSI) Governor Vesela Karaivanova presented the draft 2026 Public Social Insurance Budget Act and said that projected revenue is expected to increase by EUR 742 million. She attributed the increase to the rise in the national minimum wage from January 1, 2026, the increase in the maximum insurable income threshold to EUR 2,300 from August 1, 2026, and other measures.
Against: Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association.
BICA Chair Rumen Radev said it fails to address the structural problems of the social security system. He argued that pension spending continues to rise and opposed the proposed increase in the minimum insurable income thresholds, describing them as “an archaic instrument” that should be phased out. Radev also said the draft lacks measures to address delays in the issuance of medical disability assessment decisions.
In favour: Social Policy Ministry, BCCI, CITUB. Bulgarian Industrial Association would support the draft budget provided that the proposed minimum and maximum insurable income thresholds are reconsidered during the legislative process to ensure greater long-term stability, as KRIB also expressed conditional support.
State Budget
Finance Minister Galab Donev presented the draft 2026 State Budget Act. “The Consolidated Fiscal Programme (CFP) balance as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) over the 2026–2028 forecast period is projected at a deficit of 5.7% of GDP in 2026, 3.8% in 2027 and 3.0% in 2028. Keeping the CFP deficit at this level at this stage ensures a return to the limits by the end of the period,” he said.
Against: BICA, Podkrepa Confederation of Labour.
BICA Chair Rumen Radev said that if policies remain unchanged on a cash basis, the deficit this year is heading for 7.4% of GDP, not counting commitments already undertaken. The proposed draft budget does not provide fiscal consolidation that is fast or deep enough, he said. BICA believes this year’s budget should not be a budget of postponed reforms, Radev said and listed a number of measures that the organization believes should be implemented. Podkrepa Vice President Ioannis Parteniotis said that although the draft budget covers only a few months, it does not help tackle the demographic crisis, reduce income inequality, combat poverty and social exclusion, or solve the issue of adequate pay. He urged that the budget not impose an income freeze for the next five months.
In favour: Finance Ministry, BCCI, KRIB. The Bulgarian Industrial Association and the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) gave conditional support. BIA insists that, during the budget procedure, the increase in the maximum social security income be postponed and efforts be made to reduce the projected deficit. The association is concerned about the deficit planned for this year and next. CITUB will support the budget if the following conditions are met: preserving the current minimum wage-setting mechanism, repealing the automatic mechanism for wage changes in the budget sector, and postponing the planned 10% cut in personnel costs, CITUB President Plamen Dimitrov said.
After the meeting, Finance Minister Galab Donev argued that “all sides agreed that the draft budgets reflect the fiscal reality and what the State can currently afford in terms of revenues and expenditure.” Tripartite Council Fails to Reach Unanimity on Draft Health Insurance Fund, Public Social Insurance and State Budgets for 2026 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-06-29 20:44:00 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