Our excessive deficit was imposed preventively for 2026 and is a violation of the regulation. This was stated by the leader of "We continue the change" Assen Vassilev on BNT.
"In 2025, things started to get out of control. The excessive deficit procedure says that there is no reason for us to be in an excessive deficit in 2025. It was imposed preventively for 2026. This is a violation of the regulation. In the excessive deficit procedure, you have to be above 3%, and they officially say that we are 2.9%. I was last finance minister in April 2024, I don't know how many governments will exercise on the heavy legacy. The last budget that my team wrote, we ended with a 3% deficit", said Vassilev.
He also added: "From 2009-2021, when I took over managing the country's budgets, we have had two years without a deficit. The question is how this deficit is spent - whether you plan it or spend it at the end of the year on companies close to power."
Vassilev explained where he would save money in the budget.
"In these 7.4%, there is an increase in living expenses - coffee, water, new cars, repairs. Income policy must be reviewed - all this, which has risen by 50/60%, cannot continue like this. If there is any “automatism“ somewhere, it must meet two conditions – it must be a socially significant profession and there must be a shortage of personnel. At the moment we have one profession that meets this, and that is the medics."