site.btaRuling Parties Push Controversial 2026 State Budget Bill into Parliament

A controversial draft state budget for 2026 prepared by the Rosen Zhelyazkov cabinet but ultimately abandoned under pressure of country-wide protests, was surprisingly included in Parliament's agenda Wednesday. MPs were supposed to consider Wednesday the so-called extension budget, which would carry the 2025 spending appropriations into 2026, but instead Parliament Chair Raya Nazaryan (GERB) proposed that the regular budgets be added to the agenda.

She clarified that the decision was taken at a meeting of Parliament's presiding authority.

On the agenda is now also the 2026 budget of the National Health Insurance Fund. 

The decision to put the controversial 2026 draft budget on the agenda was approved with 124 votes from GERB–UDF, MRF – New Beginning, BSP - United Left, There Is Such a People, and two unaffiliated MPs.

That prompted a reaction by the opposition Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria and they called a protest for 6:00 PM on Thursday in front of the National Assembly building.

On Tuesday, GERB-UDF Deputy Floor Leader Denitsa Sacheva said that the 2026 draft budgets had not been withdrawn, had been approved by the competent committees in Parliament and could theoretically be put to a first-reading vote in Parliament - which is what happened Wednesday.