Budget 2026: Feasible Compromise or “Things Are Going Nowhere"

Rumen Radev, Chair of the Board of the Association of Industrial Capital, and Plamen Dimitrov, President of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions (CITUB), commented on Bulgaria’s draft 2026 Budget.

Radev warned:
"Things are going nowhere. Last week, when the figures were released and we were invited to the Tripartite Council, we highlighted that the time available does not allow for a proper, qualitative discussion. The procedure is being carried out in an incredibly formal manner, which clearly shows no intention to consider any objections or disagreements. Nothing substantial happened by the end of the week, except responses like ‘but this does not depend on us’."

Dimitrov added:
"What is being proposed is the budget that is considered feasible, and I share that view. It is a compromise budget, as there are alternative options. After the debate, it has become clear that there is hardly anything else reliable that we could agree on, because there are serious commitments within the spending policies."