Trade Unions Meet GERB to Discuss Bulgaria’s 2026 Budget

Trade union representatives held talks with GERB party today, November 11, over the draft 2026 state budget, just days after a failed meeting of the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation. Last week, GERB met first with employers to discuss the financial framework for next year.

Prime Minister Rossen Zhelyazkov reiterated his confidence that the government will secure parliamentary approval for Bulgaria’s first budget denominated in euros.

• PM Zhelyazkov: Government Will Persuade Parliament to Adopt Bulgaria’s First Budget in Euros

According to GERB MP Denitsa Sacheva, no major adjustments to the key budget parameters are expected:

“We’ve agreed with the unions that, at this stage, there will be no substantial changes to the framework we’ve presented. Security, defence, education and healthcare remain our top priorities. The issue of raising social security contributions has been discussed previously with both employers and the unions, and was initially planned for 2027 and 2028. At present, the increase is being postponed, and the contributions will be shared between employers and employees — these two percentage points are not solely the responsibility of businesses, and this must be clearly communicated to all Bulgarian citizens. Budget discussions will continue, including within the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation this week, and any changes will be minimal,” said Denitsa Sacheva of GERB.

Union leaders described the proposed budget as broadly balanced, acknowledging the government’s attempt to limit the financial burden on both businesses and workers while meeting legal obligations for higher spending on pensions, wages and key public sectors.

“We have stated our position that we consider this budget feasible, as it takes into account and carefully balances the burden on both businesses and citizens, while ensuring the financing of necessary expenditures. These expenditures, to a large extent, have been approved by Parliament as statutory guarantees for the different systems — pensions, salaries, social services, healthcare, and education,” added Plamen Dimitrov of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB).

Photo by BTA

Meanwhile, Dimitar Manolov, president of Podkrepa Trade Union, warned against any move to raise VAT:

“There were worrying suggestions about a possible VAT increase. For us, this is absolutely unacceptable — a red line. Such a step, on the eve of joining the eurozone, would inevitably lead to unjustified price hikes,” he said.