site.btaGovernment, Opposition Lawmakers Clash over Pros and Cons of Cabinet's Departure

"Eighty per cent of the reasons for the no-confidence motion have lost purpose between last Friday and the tabling of the revised draft budget this Monday," Aleksandar Ivanov MP of GERB-UDF argued, speaking during Wednesday's plenary debate on the opposition's motion of no confidence in the Zhelyazkov cabinet over its failed economic policy.

Ivanov specified that most of the reasons are no longer justified because the new version of the financial plan has dropped plans to raise taxes and to increase the administrative burden by obliging retails to install a sales management software mandatorily approved by the National Revenue Agency.

Two days before the submission of the economic policy motion, Eurostat reported that Bulgaria ranked fifth in the EU in terms of economic growth, the MP said, adding that this country has a record-low unemployment rate.

He claimed that the sixth motion of no confidence in the incumbent executive seeks to destabilize the Government and the State. "None of the sponsors of the motion will step forward and say what comes next," he pointed out. "This is the key question that a constructive opposition should answer when trying to bring down the government by a no-confidence vote: what security of incomes will that opposition offer the economy and citizens," the GEB-UDF MP said.  

"When taking office, the Zhelyazkov Cabinet assumed a clear responsibility to tackle the price hikes, and you're now talking of economic growth. This means we have achieved price stability," Ivanov commented. 

"It is a fact that forfeiting Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) funding has been avoided. Over nine months, payment requests have been submitted and funds have been received for two payments [under the Plan]. Nearly EUR 2 billion will flow into the Bulgarian economy," the MP said, noting that EU-funded programmes for Bulgaria had been suspended over the last four years. 

"If the Government falls on the eve of Bulgaria's eurozone entry [on January 1, 2026], what comes next, what do you propose?" Ivanov asked.

Manol Peykov MP of Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria answered that they propose that a parliamentary Energy Committee meeting should take more than 28 seconds, that the Budget and Finance Committee should not meet during a plenary sitting recess, and that MRF-New Beginning leader Delyan Peevski should no longer be guarded by the National Service for Protection. "If the Government falls, the credit will be entirely yours, not ours, because people are protesting against your crazy budget, but above all they are protesting against your unabated arrogance and your self-indulgence," he pointed out. 

Georgi Hrisimirov MP of Vazrazhdane commented that some of the opposition's proposals have been included in the budget bill before it comes up for a second reading before the full house. He asked Ivanov why he omitted to say that BGN 420 million of the second RRP payment had been withheld because Bulgaria has not met one of the conditions: to reform the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). "Your initial intention was supposed to be an independent election of the ACC members, but Delyan Peevski then suddenly decided that this procedure should be halted and a bill on the closure of the Commission should be introduced, which is why these BGN 420 million are paused," the Vazrazhdane MP commented further. 

Tsoncho Ganev MP of Vazrazhdane said that Bulgaria must open up to Chinese investments.

Ivanov insisted that the RRP funding has been suspended and not irretrievably forfeited. Referring to Peykov's remarks, he commented that he is member of the Budget Committee and not of the Energy Committee. "The withdrawal and revision of the budget was the right thing to do, and the dialogue with trade unions and employers has been resumed," he noted, adding that the proposed annual budget is "good and sustainable".