The budget must be returned, it cannot be revised between readings in parliament. This was announced in “120 minutes” by the chairman of “We continue the change“ and former Finance Minister Assen Vassilev.
According to him, the fiscal structural plan of Budget 2026 records what will happen in the next three years with expenses, revenues and taxes.
“The main problem with this budget is that it puts us in a spiral with very high, German, taxes on Bulgarians salaries. We are starting to spend more than we produce. Instead of a flat tax, a progressive tax is being introduced, which for higher salaries reaches 30-40%. A corporate tax is being introduced, which instead of 10% becomes 15-20% for larger corporations. Until now, 2022-23-24, we are below the threshold of the 40% rule - i.e. from what all companies and people produce as goods and services, the state takes 40% and spends 40%. In this 3-year plan, however, the percentage jumps to 45“, explained Vassilev.
According to him, this is a huge adjustment for the budget and all the main parameters must be reviewed. According to him, people who do not want to pay higher taxes should not compromise with a partial increase. Asked why the increase in the maximum social security income in 2024, when he was Finance Minister, considered it acceptable, and the current raising – unacceptable, Vassilev said:
„Then the raising came with rights. I found the maximum pension at 1600 leva, I left it at 3400 leva. Unemployment benefits increased. Tax relief for parents increased. You contribute more to the system and you receive more. If you look at the forecast of Budget 2026, the increases related to the minimum wage are about 2 billion euros of additional expenses. What is set in the budget is 8 billion euros of increased expenses – 4 times more. Because we are starting to see some increases in the “Security“ sector, which are insane. The Anti-Corruption Commission's income was increased by 65% in March and now it is increasing by another 52%“.
He specified that the employees in the commission at the mid-level take more money from ministers in Bulgaria. Vassilev estimates that higher salaries in the “Sector“ certainly cost the state 1.4 billion leva for about 60 thousand employees, and the increase in pensions cost about 1.2 billion leva for about 2 million people.
“And here, Boyko Borisov, when he says “we also want to be cool, there will be no lean pizza“, the question is that they happen in a planned and honest way. And in my time there was tension, but the dialogue never broke down, because you can't give one sector 50% and another 5% and there wouldn't be tension. And the second thing that is repeated to us is that this is “existing legislation“ - why don't they change this existing legislation, but change the other one, which is related to pension insurance. This is a political choice“, said he also.
The PP's proposal is that the increase in salaries of people in the public sector should be fair - 5% for everyone.
He also commented on his musical performance in a capital club, where he sang “Who ordered this outrage“. Vassilev said that the goal of the protest scheduled for Monday is for the budget to be withdrawn and revised to fit within the 40 percent framework.
“Boyko Borisov understood this and that is why he said that the budget should be withdrawn. In my opinion, it was not a slip to reject it. “The New Beginning“ pressured the BSP and said: “No, the budget should remain as it is with cosmetic changes“. If real changes are made - to significantly reduce redistribution, this means to recalculate GDP and from there all tax revenues – this is a cardinal change in the macro framework, it cannot happen between the first and second reading in parliament. This is absolutely impossible. “The new beginning says: “We see that the money from Europe is starting to stop, we must replace it with money from the Bulgarian taxpayer“. It's that simple. That's why they are raising redistribution and taxes“.
Assen Vassilev also issued a warning to Interior Minister Daniel Mitov: “We have information that provocations are being prepared for the protest. Last time there were provocations, including by police officers. There were others who behaved very valiantly and stopped the provocateurs. This protest will be peaceful. To Mr. Borisov – withdraw this budget, don't blow up the country“.