“What is increasingly clear is that the people who came out to the protests certainly want Boyko and Peevski out of the government. The other thing that is visible is that people are very worried about the potential new wave of price increases and inflation that may appear due to the war in Iran“. This was stated yesterday in Haskovo by the leader of “We Continue the Change“ and leader of the PP-DB lists in Haskovo and Plovdiv, Asen Vassilev. In Haskovo, he held meetings with citizens and gave a briefing for the local media, together with the people from the lists.
According to Asen Vassilev, what needs to be done right now to respond to the crisis with the prices of fuel and goods, created by military actions in Iran, is the same as what Kiril Petkov's government took in 2022, when the war in Ukraine began. “A fairly broad and large package of anti-crisis measures was adopted then. It included measures to support farmers due to the increase in the price of gas and fertilizers, as well as measures to support business — such as a ceiling on electricity, so that their costs would not increase further and there would be enough funds to raise salaries“, pointed out Assen Vassilev.
He added that in 2022 there were also measures that directly supported salaries and pensions, so that they would rise ahead of inflation and people would not become poorer. Separately, there were specifically targeted measures to reduce VAT on heating and gas. A compensation of 25 cents per liter was also included for the cheapest fuels, including for people who drive with gas systems. Tax breaks for young families were also increased to 600 leva per child.
According to Assen Vassilev, all these measures must be prepared and implemented as quickly as possible. “A large anti-crisis package must be included in the next budget to ensure that Bulgarian citizens do not become poor“, the PP leader was categorical. He also stated that it is extremely important with the 2026 budget to ensure that pensions rise to the poverty line. And he recalled that although the BSP participated in the government, in 2025 pensioners again fell below the poverty line. “The truth is that currently with a minimum pension of 320 euros, it is very difficult for a person to cover their monthly expenses. We should not have a million people on a minimum pension who do not know how they will cover their bills at the end of the month and choose between bread and medicine“, said the former finance minister.
“We know the GERB alternative with the “lean pizza“. We remember the previous crisis in 2008-2010 — what happened to incomes, how many people left the country and how many businesses went bankrupt. The alternative that Mr. Radev is proposing is new for Bulgaria and proven to be ineffective. He is proposing Orban's model — to switch back to Russian gas and oil, because they were supposedly cheaper, and de facto our entire economy should be directed towards cheap labor and cheap resources“, said Assen Vassilev. And he emphasized that in Hungary this model did not work and they have inflation higher than the Bulgarian one, and they became the last in terms of income in the EU.
According to Assen Vassilev, in order to permanently increase incomes without increasing debts, four components are needed. The first is education. In this respect, we are well educated in quantity, but in quality we are well below the average European level. The second problem is that the Bulgarian worker has much less machinery and equipment. The third is the promotion of innovation and entrepreneurship and the fourth - the effective use of money and stopping theft, effective institutions and transparency of expenses. “We have a proposal to reduce the number of ministries from 20 to 12. It is better for a small part of the administration to do the work and be well paid, and the rest not to be there“.
"We need to ensure that young people not only stay, but also return here - through good healthcare, education and income. The phrase "young families" is almost nowhere to be found in other political programs. We have a proposal to increase the tax credit for parents to 600 euros per child and for mothers who return to work early to receive their maternity leave in full, so that a mother does not have to choose between staying at home or working. This is good for the employer, it is good for the family and the budget. We also propose that the state take over the health insurance of women on maternity leave, so that they are not a burden for the employer," Asen Vassilev quotes some of the measures that the PP will propose in the next parliament.
He announced that the PP will fight for a ban on gambling advertising, citing data from the National Revenue Agency, according to which citizens' losses in casinos are one billion euros - money that came out of family budgets.
When asked how the anti-crisis package of measures will be financed, Asen Vassilev pointed out that when prices rise, VAT revenues in the state increase. These inflationary revenues should immediately return to people and businesses, and not be used for dubious investments or theft.
Assen Vassilev's forecast for the next parliament is that it will be complex, but it can work if a majority is found for specific steps - changing the Supreme Judicial Council, a new prosecutor general and stopping the flow of money to corruption schemes. He added that the PP will fight to redirect money from Borisov and Peevski's security to the construction of kindergartens.
„The only way for Borisov and Peevski to leave is to take away their „clubs“ - the prosecutor's office, and stop their money. This requires a high voter turnout. Regardless of which party you vote for, as long as it is not GERB or DPS, you are helping them to fall below 80 MPs and lose their influence“, the PP leader addressed the voters.
The candidate from the PP-DB list in Haskovo and a teacher at the language school “Prof. Dr. Ivan Zlatarov“ in the city, Darina Vlaykova pointed out that “We continue the change“ aims for schools to be financed according to quality, and not only according to the number of children. We propose a mandate for directors — two terms of four years, and a closer connection between education and business.
“Young people are fleeing our cities and that is why we need a higher education institution in Haskovo with specialties specific to the region. We need an industrial park and a logistics base to take advantage of the proximity to Greece and Turkey“, Vlaykova believes. She spoke out against the construction of yet another polyclinic on military property. According to her, the city also needs places for young people, not just gaming halls. Regarding photovoltaics, she believes that the municipality should receive real income, and not give them away for nothing.