site.btaBSP - United Left to Rethink Participation in Cabinet If Social Policies Are Jeopardized

Deputy Prime Minister and Bulgarian Socialist Party leader Atanas Zafirov said here Thursday that there can be no compromises on incomes, families, pensions, healthcare or the condition of municipalities. "If there is no possibility to continue the planned social policies, BSP - United Left will reconsider its participation in the government", he said as quoted by the party press office.

He was commenting on the decision of the government to withdraw the 2026 budget it had proposed.

He said the party will take "an active part" in the upcoming discussions and will seek meetings with both trade unions and employers, but will firmly defend the social policies built into the draft budget. "This is our red line," he added.

According to Zafirov noted that the draft budget has not been withdrawn, but merely the procedure for its adoption has been postponed by a decision of the Joint Governance Council.

He warned against what he calls "complete withdrawal of the budget". "The complete withdrawal of the 2026 budget would mean that there will be no increase in salaries, maternity benefits, pensions, funds for young doctors, financing for municipalities, and all the social benefits already planned in the budget. All of these will simply be crossed out," said he.

He added that, in this context, a joint meeting of the BSP Executive Bureau and the Coalition Council of BSP - United Left had been held.

The party would not provide details about the meeting.

BSP - United Left has six ministers in the Rosen Zhelyazkov Cabinet: Atanas Zafirov himself (Deputy Prime Minister with no other ministry portfolio), Borislav Gutsanov (Minister of Labour and Social Policy), Ivan Ivanov (Minister of Regional Development and Public Works), Manol Genov (Minister of Environment and Water), Georgi Tahov (Minister of Agriculture and Food) and Ivan Peshev (Minister of Youth and Sports). In Parliament, BSP - United Left has 19 seats in the 240-MP legislature.