Sofia's budget remains without an update

Sofia's budget remains without an update following today's sitting (November 28) of the Sofia city Municipal Council. The agenda item for the budget adjustments did not pass, with council members blaming each other for the failure to approve the report on the proposed changes.

GERB-UDF pointed out that funds for key projects, such as kindergartens and healthcare, are now frozen. They accused Mayor Vasil Terziev of choosing to travel to Vietnam and Singapore instead of addressing these issues. They also noted that the Deputy Mayor in charge of finances, Ivan Vassilev, did not attend the committee meetings during the week where the changes were discussed, making it impossible to approve the update, according to the opposition.

The ruling majority shifted the blame back to GERB, accusing them of failing to vote on the issue at the previous session when GERB-UDF members were absent from the committee meetings. As a result, the budget update will be postponed for another two weeks, by which time a vote will be pointless, explained Boyko Dimitrov, Deputy Chairman of the Sofia City Municipal Council.

The council suspended the session, and at GERB’s request, they will wait for Vasil Terziev to be present before starting a substantive discussion. The We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria – Save Sofia coalition described this move as sabotage of the Municipal Council's work.