site.bta"In a Compromise Nobody Is Satisfied," Trade Union Leader Comments on 2026 Draft Budget

“This is the possible budget, which, for various reasons—political, coalition-related, cyclical, financial, fiscal—appears to be the only feasible compromise. In a compromise, nobody is satisfied,” said Plamen Dimitrov, President of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB), at a Thursday press conference regarding next year's draft budget. CITUB's position on the budget spans 30 pages. 

“We heard that the Prime Minister is not satisfied with the budget, which is interesting,” Dimitrov noted.

“We are deeply disappointed by the behavior of the employer organizations, which have seriously jeopardized the tripartite dialogue through their actions,” Dimitrov further stated. His comment came in response to the repeated refusal of nationally representative employer organizations to participate in meetings of the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation.

Dimitrov noted that employers had attended the two meetings of the Supervisory Board of the National Social Security Institute and only abstained from the final stage of discussions.

Earlier in the day, the Government approved the 2026 draft budget.