Budget 2026 Draft to Be Debated in Parliament on Friday

On the first plenary day of the week, Parliament decided that on Thursday and Friday MPs will debate at first reading the three draft budgets for 2026 — those of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), the State Social Security (SSS) system and the draft state budget.

After the relevant parliamentary committees examined the three budgets yesterday, today the decision was endorsed by the Council of Parliamentary Leaders and subsequently approved in the chamber. The budgets of the Health Insurance Fund and the State Social Security system will be debated at first reading tomorrow, while the state budget for next year — the first to be denominated in euros — will be considered during Friday’s sitting.

To recall the key parameters of the draft state budget: projected GDP growth of 2.7% (approximately €120.1 billion), average annual inflation of 3.5%, and several proposed tax and contribution changes that sparked a strong reaction from employers, who twice boycotted the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation. These include raising the dividend tax from 5% to 10%, increasing social security contributions by two percentage points, and raising gambling fees from 20% to 25%.

During today’s sitting, November 19, Parliament also overturned President Rumen Radev’s veto on amendments to the Defence and Armed Forces Act, which provide for increasing by two years the maximum age for service for military personnel who have not exercised their right to a pension.

The presidential veto was overridden without debate. The Defence Ministry’s principal argument for raising the retirement threshold is that this will keep 847 officers, NCOs and enlisted personnel in the army over the next two years, thereby partially alleviating chronic understaffing.