site.btaCaretaker Government Drafting Regular Budget for 2026

The caretaker government is drafting a regular budget proposal to be submitted if the next parliament fails to form a governing majority, caretaker Minister of Finance Georgi Klisurski said on Wednesday.

Speaking in a television interview, Klisurski said the draft had not yet been completed, but work on it was already under way so the State would not be delayed regardless of the political situation.

Klisurski said the caretaker cabinet is ready to submit a regular budget if no governing majority is formed in the next parliament. He also said the government will send a request to the European Commission for the fourth payment under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, worth around EUR 900 million. He warned that Bulgaria could lose part of the money because parliament has not passed bills linked to reforms in Bulgarian Energy Holding and the water supply and sewerage sector.

In Klisurski’s view, the European Commission could withhold up to EUR 800 million from the payment. The funds under the fourth payment are expected to reach Bulgaria by the end of June.

He also noted that reviews have found cases of unjustified cost increases in some ministries, including agriculture, health, and regional development.

On support measures for businesses because of higher fuel prices, Klisurski said the roughly EUR 100 million needed will be covered in part by improved VAT collection. The extra VAT revenue is expected to come to between EUR 50 million and EUR 60 million, while the rest will have to be offset through spending cuts, which will require a political decision.

Klisurski added that the final size of the budget deficit will become clear at the end of 2026.