site.btaVazrazhdane Meets with Trade Union Representatives

Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov and MPs Dimo Drenchev and Georgi Georgiev have held a meeting with representatives of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria (CITUB) and the Podkrepa Confederation of Labour, the party's press centre said on Thursday. 

The trade unions were represented by Peter Mishev, an economic analyst at CITUB; Lyuboslav Kostov, CITUB's chief economist; Podkrepa Confederation of Labour President Dimitar Manolov; Atanas Kacharchev, Podkrepa's chief economist; and Desislava Ilieva, an expert at Podkrepa.

The meeting centred on the state budget, with Kostadinov presenting Vazrazhdane's position, which firmly opposes taking on any state debt.

"The illegal introduction of Bulgaria into the euro area has led to a budget based on manipulated data. This budget should by no means be adopted. On national television, Simeon Djankov even spoke of an excessive deficit. That is why we requested a hearing with him, but it was rejected. We are categorically opposed to this budget, and we are also categorically opposed to its extension. We want a new budget to be drafted - one that reflects the real political situation," Kostadinov said.

The sides also discussed ways to replenish the state treasury if government policies on pension funds, concessions, and banks’ excess profits were reconsidered, the press release said.