site.btaGERB Leader Slams Government over Kyiv Declaration Position, Budget Policy

GERB leader Boyko Borissov criticized on Sunday Prime Minister Rumen Radev and the Government over their position on Kyiv Declaration, saying Bulgaria had sent conflicting messages to its European partners. Borissov was speaking at a briefing in Blagoevgrad during GERB’s New Minds national academy initiative.

He was referring to the alleged inconsistency between Radev's statement in Paris that Bulgaria will not participate in the Coalition of the Willing and Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova's signing of a declaration in Kyiv stating the opposite.

On Friday, Bulgarian leaders denied any split in the country’s position on Ukraine on Friday as the government and opposition parties clashed over the Kyiv Declaration and Bulgaria’s relationship with the Coalition of the Willing.  Radev and President Iliana Iotova said the document required no signatures, while Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova denied committing Bulgaria to the coalition.

According to Borissov, the Foreign Minister’s explanations had deepened the confusion, while the lack of transparency about commitments undertaken by the Government was unacceptable.

He also criticized the draft 2026 State Budget, describing it as "a budget of deception". Borissov argued that revenue projections were understated despite high inflation and that the Government had proposed no effective measures to curb the deficit. "If they adopt a budget with a deficit of up to 3%, GERB will not attack them politically, because that would be good for the country," he said.

The Government’s draft 2026 State Budget envisages a deficit of 5.7% of GDP.

Borissov also criticized the Cabinet’s staffing policy, saying the number of deputy ministers and administrative personnel was being increased unnecessarily.

Commenting on the upcoming presidential elections, he said each party should nominate its own candidate and voiced doubts about the organization of the vote following the latest changes to electoral legislation.

Borissov also addressed Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev’s participation in an international conference in the United States. Mitov said the event focused on countering left-wing extremism and argued that Bulgarian institutions should step up efforts to trace financial flows supporting extremist organizations.