Outgoing PM Zhelyazkov: Cabinet Worked Like a Programme-Based Government in 2025

In 2025, the government behaved and worked like a programme-based cabinet despite appearing political, outgoing Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said on December 30 at the start of the cabinet’s last meeting of the year.

Rosen Zhelyazkov, Prime Minister: "I would say that this is a dynamic, complex, important year on the geopolitical, European, national agenda. The government was formed with difficulty in a complex coalition with ideological differences and different views on the country’s development, but with a high degree of consensus and trust between the partners, supported by a very dynamic parliamentary backing.

Today, I want to thank everyone for their support last year and for our good coalition relations. Although this government may appear political, in 2025 it acted and worked as a programme government. We had a very clear programme and well-defined objectives for the year: first of all financial stabilisation, restoring payments under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, boosting the economy’s competitiveness and joining the eurozone."

Zhelyazkov reported GDP growth reaching €113 billion and an economic growth rate of over 3%, noting that Bulgaria is no longer the poorest country in the EU.

"In terms of purchasing power parity,we surpass Greece, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Lithuania," he stressed.

Outgoing Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev highlighted that Bulgaria received its third payment under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, amounting to nearly €1.5 billion.

Tomislav Donchev, Outgoing Deputy Prime Minister:
“Within 2025 alone, three times more funds were disbursed than in the previous four years. European funds invested in the Bulgarian economy have reached €8 billion – unprecedented in Bulgarian history.”

Zhelyazkov also announced a new Coordination Centre for the introduction of the euro, headd by Vladimir Ivanov.

Rosen Zhelyazkov:
“The task of the Coordination Centre is to coordinate institutions on all issues related to oversight, communications, and responses to problems that citizens and businesses may encounter.”

The Prime Minister assured that the introduction of the euro will have long-term positive effects on the economy and the overall business environment in Bulgaria.