President Radev held consultations with BSP for Bulgaria

The state budget is an absolute priority for the 49th National Assembly, Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) leader Kornelia Ninova said at the consultations with President Rumen Radev on April 21. She added that if one of the mandate-holders invites BSP to talks on forming a government, the socialists will quickly organise an internal party consultation and will comply with the results.

According to BSP, Bulgaria is not yet ready for the euro zone and should not aim for a budget deficit below 3% at any cost. It is more appropriate, according to the socialists, not to freeze incomes, not to raise taxes and not to take away social benefits.

"Aiming for a 3% deficit for the sake of entering the eurozone is not a solution for us - Bulgarian households are not ready for the eurozone. Pushing the deficit below 3% means cutting spending. In recent years, the richest countries in the EU have maintained deficits above 3%. The EC has relaxed the Maastricht criteria and allowed countries to decide and implement state aid. A number of countries are exceeding this deficit to save their economies and help people. We support this approach," Ninova said.

At the beginning of the talks, the President pointed out that BSP has managed to preserve its presence and influence in the National Assembly and this is very important because right now the country needs parties with rich parliamentary experience and willingness to seek dialogue and compromise, which the BSP have proven they are capable of doing. The Head of State asked the socialists how far they are ready to go in their compromises.

BSP leader Kornelia Ninova highlighted four priorities - fighting inflation and poverty; passing the laws rquired under the Recovery and Resilience Plan; judicial reform and Bulgaria's entry into Schengen.

"All four topics are only possible through the adoption of the state budget because all four topics have financial implications. There are two options for the budget - a permanent majority, a regular government to make the budget and implement it. That is the more correct and easier way. If this does not happen, we expect the caretaker government to table a budget and the big question here is what it will be, but we have principled positions - "no" to freezing incomes, raising taxes, taking away social benefits," Kornelia Ninova said.

The President replied that he expects the caretaker government to present Budget 2023 today or in the next few days.

BSP will support some of the laws required under the RRP. They do not approve the bill fighting domestic violence because of "texts on gender ideology for children."

Images by Dessislava Kulelieva

Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev began on April 20 two days of consultations with the six groups in the newly-elected Parliament ahead of handing over the first mandate to seek to form a government.

Radev first met representatives of GERB-UDF, the largest parliamentary group and the one to receive the first mandate. Later, he met representaives from the second largest political group in Parliament, "We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria".

Today, April 21, he is meeting delegations of Vazrazhdane, MRF, BSP and "There is Such a People.