MRF Criticises the 2027 Draft Budget

The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) criticised the presentation of the 2027 draft budget at the University of National and World Economy (UNWE).

Stanislav Anastasov: A few words from the Movement for Rights and Freedoms on the so-called presentation of the draft State Budget Act for 2027. There were quite a few things we did not see – starting with Article 1, paragraph 1 of the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria, which states that Bulgaria is a republic with a parliamentary system of government. Let us respect our institutions; that is the foundation of democracy. Secondly, the only thing we can agree with is that this draft budget really is a heavy lorry without brakes, heading straight for the precipice. We hear a lot of fine aspirations about the space industry, gigafactories and artificial intelligence. That is all very good, but Bulgarian citizens have one question: how will they pay their bills next month? For them, that is far more important than concepts for developing the space industry. And while the government is reaching for the stars, I want to assure you that Bulgarian citizens remain firmly grounded on Earth – crushed, I would even say, by rising prices.’

• Government Presented the Parameters of 2027 Draft Budget

Stanislav Anastasov: ‘We would like to offer the government two pieces of advice that would be in the country's best interests. First, we understand that they will try to mislead the opposition, but they should not do the same to the European Commission. The experience of other countries shows that attempts to deceive the European Commission have not ended well. Our second piece of advice to the government, and the more important one, is that you cannot replace solving people's problems with repression. It does not work and it will not work.’

Aiten Sabri: ‘The parliamentary majority has presented a budget that is a mirage of social support and fiscal irresponsibility. Looking at everything they have proposed, we can see that people's purchasing power is declining with each passing day. There are no measures to curb inflation. We see no measures to support businesses. All of this is pushing Bulgarian citizens towards ever-deeper poverty. That is the truth. Yes, there are modest increases for vulnerable groups, but they will not be enough. They will not help people get through the harsh winter that lies ahead. We have heard many things, but they are nothing more than promises. We want to make one thing clear: it is the government's responsibility to ensure that the citizens of the Republic of Bulgaria genuinely feel that they are citizens.’

Atidzhe Veli: ‘This budget remains disconnected from the everyday lives of Bulgarian citizens. It makes no provision whatsoever for addressing their fundamental problems. The fact that the state will spend more does not mean that its citizens will live better. We see no measures to tackle the main problems people face, such as rising food prices. When we heard the government's budget priorities, there was not a single word about agriculture. Not a single word was said about domestic production, lower prices or greater quantities of Bulgarian produce being offered in retail chains, which would help bring prices down.’