Parliament adopted budget framework for 2024 and adjourned today's sitting

The Parliament voted on the state budget.at second reading on December 18. The item was inserted as an emergency in today's extraordinary sitting.

Minutes after 8pm, lawmakers adopted the budget framework and closed today's sitting marked by verbal skirmishes, a blockade of the rostrum and physical clashes. Child-raising allowances and the minimum unemployment benefit remained unchanged, and not a single additional increase was passed for the pensions budget.

It took lawmakers four hours to adopt the first article of the budget, which is generally adopted last because it contains the budget framework and the revenues and expenditures envisaged in it.

"Both the Fiscal Council and the BNB said that the GDP growth of 3.2 per cent that is set cannot be achieved, not to say that it is highly overestimated.", said Toshko Yordanov, There is Such a People.

However, the Finance Ministry's forecasts were defended by the chairman of the Budget Committee.

"A month ago when they tabled the draft budget, there was a forecast that the budget, to tell you as at yesterday VAT from transactions in the country was 97.7%," said Yordan Tsonev.

The topics that caused a serious dispute in the chamber were the increase in the wages of workers in the education sector.

"The funds provided for in the budget do not reach 125% of the national average salary for teachers, although this is written in the Law on Secondary Education . This is not only my opinion, but also that of the trade unions and employers' organizations," said Irena Anastasova, BSP for Bulgaria.

"I have not heard so many lies in one statement for a long time. Either you have not read this state budget or you have come out just to say something," replied Venko Sabrutev, WCC-DB.

"However, according to the GERB-UDF, there is a lack of funds and underfunding in the sector.

"Ms Anastasova, many of the things you said are correct, which is why we did not support the budget of the Education and Science Committee. On the other hand - yes, there should be a budget, there is some improvement between the first and second reading," said Krasimir Valchev, GERB-UDF.

Among the sectors for which MPs asked for more money are defence and security.

"Have you set an increase in salaries in the Ministry of Interior sector? If you have not - here is the proposal of "Vazrazhdane" for an increase of some ten percent", said Petar Petrov.

"The balance is always difficult, there is no system in the state or in any state that can say: 'We have enough money'. Even if I see that, I would not believe it," said Assen Vassilev, Minister of Finance.

Tomorrow, the voting on the state budget is expected to be completed in the relevant parliamentary committee in order for the texts to reach the chamber.