The complete “tightening“ of the 2026 budget could freeze the increase in salaries, maternity and pensions. This was warned by Deputy Prime Minister and leader of “BSP-United Left” Atanas Zafirov. His words raised questions about whether tensions are growing in the ruling coalition and whether the socialists are ready to leave the government. The representative of the “BSP-United Left” coalition, Prof. Alexander Tomov, commented on the topic in the program “Offensive with Lyubo Ognyanov”.
Prof. Tomov confirmed that Zafirov's position was adopted at the coalition council itself. However, according to him, two things are more important today:
The government must remain stable, because the country is at a key stage - the preparation for the introduction of the euro;
The social policies set out in the budget cannot be sacrificed.
“The fall of the cabinet now would mean chaos, not because of the euro, but because of the panic in the market. There is no more dangerous time to push the government”, Tomov emphasized.
According to Tomov, the social measures in the draft budget are minimal, but vital:
- an increase for pensioners;
- improvements in maternity benefits;
- Christmas bonuses, which, according to him, should not be questioned.
The issue of the double increase in the dividend tax, initially proposed by the government, is, according to Tomov, “delicate”. If the social partners – employers and unions, see this tax as a risk to stability, the BSP could back down. “The difference is 250-300 million leva. I know how to get billions into the budget”, said Tomov and added that the key lies in better collection, fair taxation and structural reforms.
Prof. Tomov sharply criticized the GERB leader, who insisted on freezing the budget procedure. “It is unacceptable for Borisov to say “The coalition partners will come here and tell you what I have decided”. The role of the prime minister cannot be usurped. How will this prime minister be respected abroad if they are invalidating him at home?”, he asked.
According to him, the prime minister must have full political support, because instability at the moment would be catastrophic.
Prof. Tomov also commented on the protests in front of parliament. “This was not a protest against the budget. This was a protest against corruption, against the dysfunctional judicial system, against the parties that did not fulfill their promises,” he said.
He added that the protesters had made mass political and moral demands, not specific budgetary claims.
The studio recalled that the name of Vice President Iliana Yotova was already mentioned as a possible candidate supported by the BSP. “She has been Vice President for 9 years. But President Radev must bear responsibility for the state of the country. The words “Magnitsky government” are dishonest – both to us and to the partners,” Tomov commented.
He did not rule out the possibility that the left would organize a primary to determine a presidential candidate.