The partners in the ruling majority changed the minimum wage at the last minute – it will no longer be 605, but 620 euros. In addition, maternity leave for the second year will be increased by 25%. There will also be an increase in the benefit if the mother decides to return to work earlier.
"It is difficult to comment on things piecemeal, without seeing the overall picture. For example, part of our proposals is that the benefit for the second year of maternity leave should be paid in full, regardless of whether the mother returns to work or not. So some points of intersection can certainly be found here and there, but the overall view of the budget, from what has come out so far, is, to put it mildly, problematic. The increase in taxes and social security is a record for the last 20 years. This was stated in the program "Offensive with Lyubo Ognyanov" by the co-chairman of "Yes, Bulgaria" Bozhidar Bozhanov, commenting on the statements made by the coalition partners in the budget for 2026, which will be the first for our country in euros. According to Bozhanov, the tax and social security burden is generally increasing. Social security is increasing by 2%, and the maximum social security income is also increasing. "They say that the "Dividend" tax may also increase - whether to 10% or 15%, we have to see. Ultimately, the feeling is that no reforms will be made and no spending will be limited - they will simply take more money from workers and businesses to pour into the state machine. This, in our opinion, is the wrong approach," he recalled.
According to the co-chairman of the DB, expenses can be limited in many ways. And he gave examples that his party "has given repeatedly in recent months."
"For example, in healthcare: private hospitals should hold tenders to save millions; patients should receive notifications upon hospitalization to limit the drain on the Treasury; civil servants should start paying insurance premiums; the Ministry of Interior should move to a phased release of pensioners. It turned out that 13% of employees in the Ministry of Interior are already pensioners - over 6,000 people out of a total of 51,000 people - and this is getting worse. That is, we have not just a lack of reforms, but a worsening of the situation", he is categorical.
When asked if they would support the increase of 260 million euros for young doctors, he replied: "As far as I saw, the calculations of the colleagues from “We continue the change“ are for about 240 million leva, not euros. But this must again be compared with limiting costs. Because if the Health Fund budget is simply given “money on top“, without reform, it will have nowhere to come from – the deficit is huge&rdash;.
He stressed that it is important for young doctors to receive higher salaries, because there is a shortage, but this must be done within the framework of a reasonable financial policy. And he recalled that his party has introduced a measure to limit bonuses in the entire public sector – in ministries, regulators, state-owned enterprises and the administration.
"The average salary in the public sector is already ahead of that in the private sector, and bonuses without a ceiling are also given on top of that. The Supreme Judicial Council, for example, has a ceiling of four salaries, but there are also cases of abuse there. Such a package of measures could seriously reduce costs. Unfortunately, we do not see such intentions from the government," he emphasized.
And he recalled that the State Duma voted against linking the minimum wage to the average: "It was a difficult decision, because all parties were "for". Not voting for a salary increase is not popular, but we believe that such automatic formulas are harmful. Now we will not submit a new proposal – this is the government's job. But in the long term, all such formulas should be reviewed because they lead to distortions.
Bozhanov also commented on the case of "Lukoil". On Thursday, it became clear that the company had chosen a buyer for its entire international business - the "Gunvor" corporation. This is an oil company, and its name is associated with Gennady Timchenko, who was sanctioned after the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
"There are many questions that need to be answered. This seems like a potential problem. The fact that Timchenko has formally left the company does not guarantee that he is not exercising influence through proxy persons or offshore companies. This should be carefully examined - not only by the State Security Service, but also by partner services. If the money continues to flow to Russia, the sanctions will be violated. The strategic goal is "Lukoil" to be sold to an investor who is not connected to Russia – Western and transparent, who will develop the business here", Bozanov emphasized.
And he expressed the opinion that it is a big mistake that SANS will decide who could be the buyer of the refinery. "This change, pushed by Peevski, is dangerous because SANS cannot control deals in third countries like Switzerland or Austria, and it is not right for one service to have the last word. Thus, Peevski, who controls SANS, will be able to decide according to his own interests," he said.