Budget 2026 is no longer just a table of numbers. It is becoming a front line between the state, business and working people.
"We cannot like something that turns out to be worse than what we had on December 17 last year - the second edition of the then-unadopted budget. If we look at the two budgets, maintenance and capital expenses have increased by 5.1 billion euros compared to 2025. 3.5 billion more capital expenditures and 1.6 billion euros more maintenance, which again is expressed in unpaid invoices and road repairs. This forms this deficit of over 3%. The framework is not very in order, "said the president of the Confederation of Bulgarian Trade Unions Plamen Dimitrov in "Denyat ON AIR".
Budget deficit and unpaid invoices
According to him, it is impossible to fulfill the entire fifth payment under the Recovery and Sustainability Plan.
"The deficit amounts to 7 billion euros. Now there are 700 million euros less for salaries than there were last year. We asked them to give us a written answer where the finances are going and we hope to receive it in black and white. Let's not take steps that explode part of the administration. We have questions about unpaid invoices - the two numbers that are mentioned - 1.9 billion euros in capital and 1.6 billion euros in current maintenance, make colossal amounts - Galab Donev was talking about 2 billion and something euros", Dimitrov added to Bulgaria ON AIR.
According to him, there are 304 administrative structures - it is appropriate to see how many are redundant and how many have duplicate positions.
"We support putting a ceiling on salaries in the administration - so that they cannot take a higher salary than the president. We can do it and I am convinced. We are supposedly carrying out administrative reform, and when the big money comes, there is no explanation. The two law enforcement agencies spend about 2.5-3 billion euros per year. There must be a measure and a single yardstick", the guest pointed out.
Problems in law enforcement agencies and automatisms
The automatism in law enforcement agencies, like some others, should be eliminated, Dimitrov is convinced.
"The problem with the budget is whether we ultimately have a justification for how, as in the first half of the year, we spent 1/3 of the capital program, how will we spend the remaining 2/3 by the end of the year? It should be publicly commented on in parliament tomorrow. There is no generosity in social payments, there is a freeze. This is a budget that cannot be called wasteful. We continue to eat some of the most expensive products in the EU. For many products, the seasonal factor has been eliminated. A nice market, but it doesn't work. Let there finally be sanctions", commented the president of the Confederation of Bulgarian Trade Unions.