site.btaMECh Leader Vasilev: 2026 State Budget Is Wasteful, Party Will Vote Against Most Proposals

MECh leader Radostin Vasilev told journalists in Parliament’s lobby on Wednesday that the 2026 Draft Budget is wasteful as if it were the last one. “We are paying for the administration, the Government’s gifts, at the expense of working people,” he added.

Vasilev noted that MECh will vote against most of the proposals. According to him, the draft budget “is either shameless or incompetent.”

Earlier on Wednesday, a meeting of the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation of the Cabinet, employers and unions, was called off. The social partners were expected to discuss the 2026 Draft State Budget, as well as the budgets for the National Health Insurance Fund and Public Social Insurance. The draft budget raises the minimum wage, pension insurance contributions and the dividend tax. 

Commenting on a statement by GERB leader Boyko Borissov that he had personally discussed with UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron the removal of Bulgarian nationals from the British global anti-corruption sanctions list, Vasilev said that in any other European state, such an admission would automatically amount to an abuse of power.

Vasilev also said that a letter concerning the illegitimacy of Velichie MP Maria Ilieva is to be prepared on Wednesday, signed by all parliamentary groups except Velichie, and submitted to the Central Election Commission over a possible document issue. He added that a similar case might exist with Velichie leader Ivelin Mihaylov and noted that on Tuesday signals were also submitted to acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov.