MP Venko Sabroutev: The Governing Majority Is Freezing the Minimum Wage and Stripping Workers of Their Rights

The 'We Continue the Change' party will ask the President to veto the newly adopted state budget over what it says are unconstitutional provisions. The announcement was made by 'We Continue the Change' MP Venko Sabrutev, a member of the parliamentary Budget and Finance Committee, in the programme More from the Day.

Venko Sabrutev, We Continue the Change: "We are witnessing a betrayal of the voters' mandate. One set of election promises was made, but entirely different policies are now being implemented."

He said We Continue the Change had already prepared a reasoned request for a presidential veto.

"We will submit a request for a veto. We have drafted more than 15 pages of arguments and are collecting signatures to attach to them," he said.

According to the MP, one of the allegedly unconstitutional provisions concerns the rules governing medical disability assessments (TELK).

Venko Sabrutev, We Continue the Change: "Imagine someone files a report claiming your TELK assessment is invalid. Under the new provision, your disability pension will be suspended immediately. For people with disabilities, that pension is a matter of survival. The Constitution clearly states that everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty, not guilty until they prove their innocence."

As a second example, he pointed to the linking of judges' salaries to MPs' pay.

"In Bulgaria, there is a separation of powers. The remuneration of one branch of government cannot be tied to that of another," the MP said.

Commenting on the reasons behind the change, he criticised the governing majority, arguing that Parliament could alter the mechanism for determining MPs' salaries.

Venko Sabrutev, We Continue the Change: "The majority could decide to change the rules for MPs' salaries – cutting them by half, by two-thirds, or even reducing them to one euro. If judges' salaries are linked to those of MPs, that would directly affect the judiciary as well."

According to the MP, the adopted budget shifts the burden onto working people without offering any real compensation.

"You can see what is being proposed for working people – higher social security contributions, a greater financial burden. Every Bulgarian citizen will pay more in social security contributions without receiving anything in return. The pension cap will not be increased, nor will unemployment benefits," he said.

He argued that the minimum unemployment benefit remains far too low.

"The minimum unemployment benefit is €9 a day, and that is written into the State Budget Act. If anyone claims otherwise, it is not a rebuttal – it is a lie," Sabrutev said.

The MP also criticised changes affecting paid annual leave for people working part-time.

Venko Sabrutev, We Continue the Change: "Until now, if you worked under a four-hour employment contract, you were entitled to 20 days of annual leave, each consisting of four hours. Now, in practice, that leave is being cut in half. If someone works two four-hour jobs, they will have to take leave from both employers at the same time, which means they will effectively have only 10 working days of annual leave a year. Any claim to the contrary is a lie."

According to Sabrutev, students and people with disabilities will be the hardest hit.

"Students and people with disabilities are the main groups working four-hour shifts. A person with polyneuropathy does not work four hours because it is convenient, but because their physical condition does not allow them to work longer. Now that person will receive half as much leave and will not even have the opportunity to recover from work," the MP said.

He also criticised the abolition of the mechanism for setting the minimum wage. According to him, the current mechanism should remain in force until employers and trade unions reach a new agreement.

"Whether good or bad, this mechanism works. It guarantees that the minimum wage will continue to rise. The right approach is to keep it in place until employers and trade unions agree on a new model," he said.

Sabrutev also criticised other policies included in the budget.

"They will make people pay higher social security contributions without receiving anything in return. They will take more from people's salaries, and in the end they will have half as much annual leave. It is an absolute outrage," he said.

According to the MP, the governing parties are failing to deliver on their promises and, instead of tackling oligarchic interests, are restricting social rights. He cited as an example the removal of the state's commitment to building the National Children's Hospital.

Venko Sabrutev, We Continue the Change: "Until now, the three-year budget forecast included a provision stating that once construction began, the state would commit to financing the National Children's Hospital. The governing majority has removed that commitment. This means the children's hospital is no longer among the priorities in the 2026 budget."

He also said maternity benefits and the tax credit for working parents had been frozen, while the budget allocates billions for infrastructure spending.

At the end of the interview, Sabrutev said that if the President does not veto the budget, We Continue the Change will refer the matter to the Constitutional Court.