site.btaProposed Budget Reveals Fear of Early Elections, President Radev Says

This budget clearly reveals the ruling parties' fear of early elections and the need to prevent possible social unrest, President Rumen Radev told reporters on Tuesday, speaking about the draft state budget for 2026, which is to be considered at second reading in parliamentary committees and the plenary hall. Last week, the National Assembly approved at first reading the draft budgets of the National Health Insurance Fund, the Public Social Insurance, and the state budget for 2026.

The head of State talked to journalists after participating in the AFCEA TechNET Sofia 2025 forum, organized by AFCEA Sofia Chapter. 

“I am not trying to bring down the government, it is trying to do so itself,” Radev replied to a question. He did not rule out the possibility of the protests against the budget becoming more radical because, in his words, “it is a budget of broken dialogue, confrontation, and deception.” Radev added that “never before has a budget been adopted without consultation with employer organizations. Never before has a budget so strongly opposed the administration to business, never before has it so obviously cheated with absolutely unrealistic revenues,” Radev added. Asked if he would veto the budget, he replied that he had not seen the final parameters yet.

Regarding the proposal of Movement for Rights and Freedoms - New Beginning leader Delyan Peevski to close the State Aviation Operator, Radev said that it is a matter of rationality and good analysis. The opinion of the National Assembly and the Council of Ministers must be taken into account, he added. “How is Raya Nazaryan [National Assembly Chair] supposed to get from Sofia to Brussels, then to Sweden for a short visit, when the prime minister has to be in Brussels almost every month? I want to hear how they plan to do their work efficiently. But as I see it, things here depend on the whims of their mentor, who has a weakness for Falcons,” Radev said. “He has ruined everything he has touched, from the cigarette holding company [Bulgartabac Holding] to KTB Bank [referring to the bankruptcy of Corporate Commercial Bank], and now it seems it's the state's turn. Taking out huge loans, eating away at our children's future, to pay for weekly flights on a private Falcon jet to Dubai for a man who has been on the state payroll all his entire life,” Radev added, speaking about Peevski.