"Budget 2026 is heavily influenced by the upcoming presidential elections, which "Progressive Bulgaria" considers an important prerequisite for fully mastering the positions of power in Bulgaria". This was stated in an interview with News.bg by banker and financier Levon Hampartzumyan regarding the presentation of Budget 2026 by Finance Minister Galab Donev.
According to him, the budget bill is always paid by working people who create new wealth in the state.
According to him, against the backdrop of all the criticism in the state about how invoices are forgotten in drawers and if this turns out to be true, the Court of Auditors and several departments in the Ministry of Finance should be fired, because their job is to ensure that there are no forgotten invoices in drawers.
According to Hampartzumyan, spending and a 3% budget deficit is not a very good policy, because this is how one gets used to deficit budgets and this in itself means taking out more and more loans. "The proposals of the government include raising tolls, vignettes and excise taxes on cigarettes, this is an additional tax burden and digging into the pockets of state work", the banker pointed out.
He believes that the government will never admit that it made a mistake with a given budget. Every government finds the state in a dynamic state, arbitration cases are being conducted and the budget must be approached calmly and professionally, Levon Hampartzumyan urged. He believes that the government pretending to be surprised by the state of the state is a bit strange, given that each member of the executive branch can do their part "to keep the machine running".
Hampartzumyan stated that there are no serious hints of reforms in Budget 2026, and that "a little more of the same" is being staked. "If I were in the place of the people who govern, I would first build the highways and then demand taxes", he gave an example.
Levon Hampartzumyan expressed the opinion that if nothing happens with the budget and reform policies are not implemented, there may be protests as early as the fall. "The government is making pre-election maneuvers with the state budget. There are anointed sectors such as the "Security" sector, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the military, given that the prime minister is quite peace-loving and does not need so many funds for defense," in his words.
According to the expert, one of the bombs ticking in Budget 2026 is that spending in the public sphere is increasing, without this being sufficiently justified everywhere. "You can't put them all under one denominator, because there are many prepared people, with education and languages, but for example, people in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for whom the requirements are high, receive some of the lowest salaries", the banker added.
He also added that Bulgaria does not need the ministries of economy, innovation and culture. "Between the two world wars, if I'm not mistaken, Bulgaria had about 7-8 ministries. Why do we need more? This way, enough people can be released who do not have the necessary qualifications, but there is a hunger for all kinds of people in the economy. This way, there will be a small, tight and much more effective administration," the financier gave an example.
Hampartsumyan was categorical that Bulgaria does not need a new caste of fighters, but new motivated people who can put things in order and be more effective for themselves and for everyone.
In conclusion, he defined Budget 2026 as a budget of "unfounded dreams".