The “BSP-UNITED LEFT“ and Confederation of Bulgarian Trade Unions (CBU) united at a meeting in the National Assembly on the need to create a clear perspective for the country. The main topic was the adoption of the State Budget for 2025, as well as the ongoing negotiations to form a regular government, which would lead to greater stability in the country, the BSP press center reported.
“We are doing everything possible to reach a regular cabinet. It is not normal to go to elections 7 times in 3 years. Each party must compromise in the name of the country and demonstrate statesmanship. From “BSP-UNITED LEFT“ we have already taken this step“, said the co-chairman of the parliamentary group of the left, Borislav Gutsanov.
He stressed that in the budget it is necessary to find a balance between providing peace and predictability for the economy and the opportunity to create a clear perspective for the country. The socialist was categorical that ways must be found to collect more funds in the budget without raising taxes.
“We will be the left vector in a government. Our force over the years has most consistently defended the interests of working people, and it will remain so in the future“, emphasized the chairman of the coalition “BSP-UNITED LEFT“ Atanas Zafirov added that this will also be reflected in the future management program.
The Speaker of the National Assembly Natalia Kiselova, who also took part in the meeting, introduced the trade unions to the process of adopting the special law on state revenues and expenditures, emphasizing that she expects it to be discussed today by the budget committee and to be considered at a second reading in the plenary hall this week.
The Deputy Chairman of the PG of “BSP-UNITED LEFT“ Ivan Ivanov expressed his satisfaction that cooperation with trade union organizations has deepened in recent years. He recalled that the mechanism for determining the amount of the minimum wage is precisely the result of these joint actions.
The Confederation of Bulgarian Trade Unions and Confederations of Bulgarian Trade Unions supported the efforts to form a regular government. The President of the Confederation Plamen Dimitrov drew attention to the difficult situation in which the country finds itself and emphasized that stability is necessary.
The two sides also united around the need to introduce a fair tax system in Bulgaria.
“We have a large degree of overlap on this topic. The biggest indicator that this is necessary is the gap between the poor and the rich, which continues to widen and currently the inequalities are greater than ever. We continue to insist on a transition to progressive taxation and we are ready to open this debate in society“, said the secretary of the PG of “BSP-UNITED LEFT“ Atanas Atanasov.
The Confederation of Bulgarian Trade Unions (CITUB) raised the alarm that not everything is regulated in the law on state revenues and expenditures and it is possible that teachers and employees in the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Defense will not receive a salary increase in January, for which they received assurances from the representatives of the left that they will do everything in their power to prevent this from happening.
The meeting commented that postponing the liberalization of the electricity market for household consumers and extending subsidies for non-household consumers are the right steps, but measures are also needed for energy-poor households, because the price of electricity is increasing.