Parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee Decides to Freeze MPs’ Salaries

With 17 votes in favour and full unanimity, members of the parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee have frozen the salaries of Members of Parliament.

The proposals were submitted to the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly by “Progressive Bulgaria”. They stipulate that MPs’ remuneration should be fixed at the levels in March 2026.

Petar Vitanov, Chair of the “Progressive Bulgaria” Parliamentary Group: “Due to the ongoing political crises, the international situation, and the difficult state of public finances in the country, this is the least we can do.”

According to the proposal, the salary will be equal to three average monthly wages in the public sector, based on data from the National Statistical Institute for the same period. Thus, with an average salary of €1,412, MPs would receive around €4,236 per month.

Raya Nazaryan, MP from the GERB-UDF parliamentary group: “Expenditure should be restricted. It is the most logical, most moral, and most appropriate step for Members of Parliament and the National Assembly to begin with their own costs.”

Until now, MPs’ remuneration was updated on a quarterly basis, but the new provisions aim to provide greater predictability of expenditure. At the same time, however, there remains the possibility of increases through the state budget, where income policy in the public sector can be applied.

Nadezhda Yordanova, MP from the “Democratic Bulgaria” parliamentary group: “The automatic mechanisms for determining remuneration should be removed. Of course, care should be taken in every case not to drift into populism.”

Velislav Velichkov, MP from the “We Continue the Change” parliamentary group: “There are more effective ways to regulate MPs’ salaries than freezing them.”

When asked what those might be, he added: “They may not be linked at all to the average wage.”