site.btaContinue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria to Work on September No-Confidence Motion

Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) will work for a general vote of no confidence in the coalition in September, CC Chair Assen Vassilev said on the sidelines of Parliament on Friday. Earlier in the day, the National Assembly rejected the fourth no-confidence motion against the current Government.

"Within the parliamentary group, after discussion also by our National Council tomorrow, we will work for a joint no-confidence motion in September, as requested by Democratic Bulgaria," Vassilev said. "The topics will be discussed first at our National Council, as proposals, then within the parliamentary group, so that it is common on the policies that this Government is pursuing as a punitive action against the Bulgarian people," the CC Chair said. He added that Continue the Change voted in favour of Friday's vote of no confidence because they consider this government to be harmful to Bulgaria.

Asked whether the CC, by supporting the no-confidence vote, had boarded the "Russian train", Vassilev responded with a quote from Martin Niemoeller, (a Protestant theologian in Germany): "First they came for the Communists/And I did not speak out/Because I was not a Communist [...] Then they came for me/And there was no one left/To speak out for me."

Referring to Velichie's and Moral, Unity, Honour's declared intention earlier in the day for new votes of no confidence, Vassilev said that since it is certain that Bulgaria is joining the euro area and there is no turning back, each vote will be considered individually and the decision will be within the parliamentary group. "What we saw on the scoreboard today is that the government has the support of GERB-UDF, There Is Such a People, BSP-United Left and Movement for Rights and Freedoms - New Beginning - 131 votes. Whatever no-confidence motion is tabled and these votes are there, there is no way the Government will fall," Vassilev stressed.

Asked about the increased credit rating given to Bulgaria by international agencies, he explained that after the country's accession to the eurozone, its credit rating was raised. This dramatically reduces the risk of financial crises, Vassilev added. However, he said, the latest data on the State's financial situation raised some concerns because, instead of being in surplus as last year, it shows a deficit of BGN 2.6 billion in 2025. "If the National Recovery and Resilience Plan money comes in, the risk to the budget remains only in terms of tax revenue shortfalls, which are highly overestimated in the forecast and could eventually be offset by less capital spending," Vassilev explained. In his view, there is little chance of a 3% deficit.