site.btaMPs Adopt on First Reading 2026 Public Social Insurance Budget Bill, Opposition Calls Skipping Committee Vote "Absurd"

The National Assembly adopted Thursday at first reading the revised 2026 Public Social Insurance Budget Bill with 122 votes in favour, 89 against, and none abstaining.

It was supported by GERB-UDF, MRF – New Beginning, BSP – United Left, There Is Such a People (TISP), and three MPs not affiliated with a parliamentary group. Those against were Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB), Vazrazhdane, the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms, and MECh. Velichie did not participate in the vote.

Immediately after the vote in the plenary hall, and shortly before the debate on the 2026 National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) began, Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) objected to the consideration of next year’s financial frameworks of the two budgets without them having passed through the relevant committees - the Social Policy Committee and the Health Committee.

Health Committee Chair Kostadin Angelov (GERB-UDF) explained that such a meeting had already been scheduled. “CC-DB were in the building, but only to give interviews and raise the level of tension,” he commented.

CC-DB MP Venko Sabrutev responded by pointing out that his colleagues from the parliamentary group had been present at the Committee, while those from GERB-UDF had been absent. He described it as “absurd” to consider the NHIF budget in the plenary without it having passed through the Health Committee, as well as to discuss the draft Public Social Insurance budget without the Social Committee.

“After the submission of the bills, within the prescribed period they were distributed to all committees, their chairs convened meetings, and the bills were handed out. The fact that MPs did not appear prevented them from being examined, as there was no quorum,” National Assembly Chair Raya Nazaryan (GERB-UDF) replied in turn. “Yesterday, when we voted on the work programme, it was decided that these bills would be considered in the plenary hall,” she reminded.

The State Budget Procedures Act does not explicitly list the committees through which the budget must pass. It is not a constitutional requirement that every committee must vote on the draft — in practice, this is part of parliamentary custom, not a strict formal precondition for plenary adoption.

Social Policy Minister Borislav Gutsanov commented that they are increasing the childcare allowance for raising a child up to the age of two, which had been frozen for three years. “Why did no one do this until now?” he asked rhetorically. In addition, Gutsanov noted that they are complying with the Swiss rule for pension indexation and raising the minimum wage. “Please do not vote - I know you will not do so as the opposition - but at least be objective when commenting on the most vulnerable people in Bulgaria, rather than making politics at their expense,” the Minister urged the opposition before the vote.